The traditional five grains are

The five grains were originally five kinds of grains in ancient China, and later referred to grain crops in general. About the five grains there are two main sayings, the mainstream is rice (commonly known as rice, rice), millet (commonly known as yellow rice), Jik (also known as corn, commonly known as millet), wheat (commonly known as wheat, making flour with), beans (commonly known as soybeans). Because there are places where the climate is dry and unfavorable for rice cultivation, there is hemp (commonly known as hemp seed) instead of rice, as one of the five grains.

On rice, wheat, beans due to common life, here is not introduced, the following is mainly introduced in life now uncommon but in ancient times really common grains:

Millet: millet shelling, is yellow rice, its seeds are cooked with viscous, you can brew wine, make cakes. Because it is not good for digestion, now also basically do not use "millet" as a staple food.

Jik: also known as millet, drought-resistant growth, a variety of varieties, commonly known as "millet with five colors", white, red, yellow, black, orange, purple various colors of millet, but also sticky millet. The earliest Chinese wine was also brewed with millet. Millet is suitable for growing in areas that are dry and lack irrigation. Its stems and leaves are hard and can be used as fodder, which is generally digestible only by cattle. Nowadays, ji is not used as a staple food.

Hemp: hemp is mainly used for agricultural production, his stem bark, composting can be made rope (hemp rope), hemp clothes, hemp paper, etc., very durable. Peeled stems, can be used as firewood, you can build a house, a bit of wood, the current skin and poles by refining the fiber, you can do a variety of high-grade paper such as rice paper.

Peas and beans: the general term for beans, the old saying goes: "Beans and beans are the strongest crop. Beans, the general name of the beans. However, the soybean said beans, bean seedlings said Huo, small beans are said to agree." Bean products are also one of the favorite foods of the Chinese people.

"Five grains" said in the Spring and Autumn period, the Warring States period, "Analects - Weizi": "four bodies are not hard, five grains are not divided". But the explanation is different, one said that the millet, millet, wheat, beans, rice; one said that the millet, millet, wheat, beans, hemp. The main difference between these two statements is the presence or absence of rice and hemp, the reason for the differences, because the crop was not more than five, "hundred grains", "six grains" and "nine grains," said the The existence of the "hundred grains", "six grains" and "nine grains" is a clear evidence, and there are differences in the types of crops around. The reason for the prevalence of the "five grains" theory is obviously due to the influence of the idea of the five elements. Therefore, in general terms, the five grains refer to several major food crops.

Rice

Rice, also known as round-grained rice, is sweet and flat, and has the effect of tonifying the middle and benefiting the qi, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and removing thirst. In winter, the indoor heating is hotter, the air is dry, drink some rice porridge in the morning and evening, you can stay away from the dry mouth and tongue. In particular, diabetics should be reminded that different cooking methods for rice have different effects on blood sugar. Research shows that equal amount of rice cooked into dry rice than thin rice on blood sugar impact is small. Therefore, diabetic patients eating dry rice for breakfast is good for blood sugar control.

Millet

Millet, also known as corn, sweet taste and flatness, has the role of strengthening the spleen and stomach, suitable for the spleen and stomach heat, regurgitation and vomiting, diarrhea and postpartum, post-disease weakness of the body to eat. Millet porridge floating on top of a layer of fine viscous material, commonly known as "rice oil". Chinese medicine believes that the rice oil is extremely rich in nutrients, the strongest nourishing power, there is "rice oil can replace the ginseng soup," said.

Wheat

Wheat is sweet, flat and cold, has the spleen and kidney, nourish the heart and tranquilize the efficacy. The people who have insomnia can use wheat and rice, jujube together with porridge to eat. In addition, wheat bran contains high dietary fiber, hyperlipoproteinemia, diabetes, atherosclerosis, hemorrhoids, senile constipation, colon cancer have preventive and curative effects.

Sorghum

Sorghum taste sweet and warm, have the role of spleen and stomach. Children indigestion, can take sorghum into the pot fried incense, shell grinding powder, each take 2 to 3 grams of service. But sorghum is warm, containing tannins with astringent diarrhea, constipation should not be eaten.

Soybeans

Soybeans are flat and sweet, and have the effect of strengthening the spleen and qi, the spleen and stomach weakness should be eaten often. Made of soybeans with a variety of soy products such as tofu, soy milk, etc., also has medicinal properties: tofu can be wide in the benefit of gas, heat and blood, especially suitable for phlegm and heat coughing, cold and wind outside, sore throat people to eat.