Pseudocereals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Plants producing seeds that are used like grains but do not belong to the true cereal grass family; examples include amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat
2. Edible seeds harvested from non-grass plants that serve as grain substitutes in cooking and nutrition; commonly called false cereals such as quinoa and buckwheat
3. Seeds from broadleaf plants consumed similarly to cereals yet botanically distinct from true grains, notably amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa

Etymology: "Pseudocereals" is simply the plural of "pseudocereal," a compound built from two parts. The first, "pseudo-," comes from Ancient Greek "pseudḗs," meaning "false," which in turn derives from "pseúdō," "to deceive" or "to lie." The second part, "cereal," traces back to Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, and so the word describes plants that look and behave like grain crops without belonging to the grass family that produces true cereals. That distinction is the whole point of the compound. Wheat, rice, barley and maize are all grasses, and "cereal" in its botanical sense refers to them. Quinoa and buckwheat, by contrast, are broadleaf plants, so their seeds get used the way grains are used, yet they fall outside the grass family. The prefix "pseudo-" flags that resemblance without claiming identity, which is why the term sounds slightly like a verdict on the plants' authenticity rather than a neutral description.

Synonyms: pseudo grains, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, chia