ORIGIN OF CEREALS.–Cereals, which is the time period utilized to the edible seeds of sure grains, originated with the civilization of man. When man lived in a savage state, he wandered about from place to position and depended for his meals on looking and fishing; however as he ceased his roaming and commenced to settle in areas that he discovered enticing, it was not lengthy earlier than he turned conscious of the probabilities of the bottom about him and realized the benefit of tilling the soil as a method of procuring meals. Certainly, the cultivation of the soil for the manufacturing of meals could also be thought-about as one of many first steps in his civilization. Among the many meals he cultivated have been grains, and from the earliest instances to the current day they’ve been the primary crop and have shaped the chief meals of individuals wherever it’s doable to provide them.

The grains belong to the household of grasses, and thru cultivation their seeds, which retailer the nourishment for the expansion of latest vegetation, have been made to retailer a adequate quantity of nourishment to allow man to gather and use it as meals. The title cereals was derived from the goddess Ceres, whom the Romans believed to be the protector of their crops and harvests. Quite a few grains are produced, however solely eight of those cereals are used extensively as meals, specifically, wheat, corn, oats, rice, barley, rye, buckwheat, and millet.

ABUNDANCE OF PRODUCTION.–Except for the desert lands and the Arctic areas, cereals of some variety are grown over your complete world. Some varieties thrive within the sizzling international locations, others flourish within the temperate areas, and nonetheless others mature and ripen within the quick heat season of the colder northern climates. Actually, there may be virtually no sort of soil that won’t produce a crop of some number of grain. Since grains are so simply grown and are so plentiful, cereals and meals constituted of them furnish a big a part of the world’s meals provide. Certainly, about one-fourth of all of the meals eaten by the inhabitants of the world, when it’s thought-about as an entire, is made up of cereals.

ECONOMIC VALUE OF CEREALS.–The abundance of the world’s grain provide makes the associated fee so average that most of the poorer lessons of individuals in numerous international locations, particularly these within the Far East, dwell virtually totally on cereals. Nonetheless there may be one other issue that controls the low price of cereals and grains and retains them throughout the technique of all lessons of individuals, and that’s their glorious preserving high quality. They require little or no care and can hold for an indefinite time period. Due to their imperishable nature, they could be saved in massive portions and distributed to shoppers as they’re wanted and at a value that’s pretty uniform.

Since the price of cereals is average, they need to type a big proportion of the food regimen of your complete household, particularly if the household’s revenue will enable solely a restricted sum to be spent for meals. Some cereals, in fact, are less expensive than others, and in buying this sort of meals the housewife must be ruled accordingly. These which require an elaborate manufacturing course of of their preparation for the market are the costliest, however they’ve a bonus in that they require virtually no preparation earlier than serving. For the varieties that should be cooked, the price of getting ready the dish, particularly if the worth of gasoline is excessive, should be considered, for except some thought is given to the economical use of the gasoline, in addition to to the tactic of cooking employed, the price of the ready dish could also be significantly elevated. Nevertheless, within the preparation of cereals, little or no talent or power is required and a basic information of the perfect strategies for considered one of them can, as a rule, be utilized to all.

CEREAL PRODUCTS.–In addition to the cereals already talked about, numerous merchandise of cereals are extensively utilized in COOKING, chief amongst them being flour, corn starch, and different starches. Though each housewife ought to possess information of the makes use of of every of those, instruction in them is just not given till later. This Part consists of notably the examine of grains–whole, cracked, flaked, and people made into grits or meal–and the use and the serving of them, in addition to ready-to-eat cereals, that are generally known as breakfast meals. The one extra meals to which consideration is given presently are macaroni, spaghetti, and meals of an analogous nature, for as these are constituted of wheat they’re actually cereal merchandise. Of their preparation for the desk, the foundations that govern the opposite cereal meals apply additionally in a big measure to them.