The Five Grains are five types of grains in ancient China: rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, and beans. Each grain represents a different type of crop. For example, rice refers to paddy rice, but what type of crop does beans refer to? Details are as follows:
What type of crop is "菽"?
菽 refers to legume crops, including soybeans, mung beans, red beans, black beans, broad beans, peas, etc.
What are some examples of legume crops?
1. Soybeans
Soybeans, also known as soybeans or yellow soybeans, are annual herbaceous plants belonging to the genus *Glycine* in the legume family. They are an important food and oilseed crop in China, and originated there, where they have a long history of cultivation.
2. Mung beans
Mung beans, also known as cowpeas or green beans, belong to the genus Vigna in the subfamily Papilionoideae. They originated in India and Myanmar and have been cultivated in China for over two thousand years. Mung bean cultivation is widespread in my country, with the second largest cultivation area in the world after India.
3. Red beans
Red beans are the seeds of the red bean tree, a legume , mainly distributed in Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan provinces of China. Its closest relative is the adzuki bean , primarily used in traditional Chinese medicine and often used interchangeably with red beans.
4. Black beans
Black beans are the black seeds of soybeans, a plant belonging to the genus *Glycine* in the legume family. They are not only rich in nutrients but also possess significant medicinal value, earning them the title of "King of Beans."
5. Broad beans
Broad beans, also known as fava beans or Buddha beans, are annual or biennial plants belonging to the genus Vicia in the legume family. They are used as a food, vegetable, fodder, and green manure crop. They are cultivated from the tropics to 63° North latitude, with Sichuan province in China having the largest cultivation area.
6. Peas
Peas are plants belonging to the genus *Vitis* in the family Fabaceae. They are also known as snow peas, Dutch peas, and wheat peas. Originating in western Asia, the Mediterranean coast, and Ethiopia, they are annual or biennial climbing plants with strong adaptability and are now cultivated in many parts of the world.
