Tag: Grain vs seed

Despite often being classified alongside millets, kuttu, also known as buckwheat, is not a true millet but a pseudocereal belonging to the rhubarb family. This common misconception stems from their similar culinary uses and gluten-free status, but understanding the botanical and nutritional differences is key.

By one widely circulated agricultural axiom, 'many grains are seeds, but not all seeds are grains'. A deep dive into botany reveals that while the terms are often used interchangeably in everyday language, there is a fundamental difference: all grains are botanically classified as a type of fruit, while a seed is the actual reproductive unit housed inside. This distinction is key to understanding plant biology and its application in food production.

While commonly treated as a grain in the kitchen, bhagar, or barnyard millet, is technically a seed from a small-seeded grass. This botanical distinction explains why this gluten-free 'pseudo-grain' is permitted during Hindu fasts where true grains are forbidden.

According to botanists, saunf, or fennel seed, is not a grain but the dried fruit of the *Foeniculum vulgare* plant, a member of the Apiaceae family. This aromatic spice, a staple in many cuisines, is fundamentally different from the edible seeds of cereal grasses that are classified as grains.