From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
The name widely used for any edible starchy grain or seed, such as wheat, corn, rice or oats, or for products prepared from such grains, such as oatmeal or cornflakes. Cereals are made from different grains left whole, cracked, rolled, or coarsely or finely ground. The word comes from the Latin cerealis, "of grain" from Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain.
