Barley is a cereal grain derived from the annual grass Hordeum vulgare. It serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting (in beer and whisky) and in wholefoods. The Oxford English Dictionary records the derivation from the Old English baerlic, although the "lic" ending may indicate it was an adjective pertaining to the crop or plant, rather than a noun. It was first recorded around 966 CE in the compound word baerlic-croft.

The name "buckwheat" or "beech wheat" comes from its triangular seeds, which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut from the beech tree, and the fact that it is used like wheat. The word is a partial translation of Middle Dutch boecweite. Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum. The crop plant, common buckwheat, is Fagopyrum esculentum. Despite the common name and the grain-like use of the crop, buckwheat is not a cereal or grass. It is called a pseudocereal to emphasise that it is not related to wheat. Buckwheat contains rutin, a medicinal chemical that strengthens capillary walls, reducing hemorrhaging in people with high blood pressure and increasing microcirculation in people with chronic venous insufficiency. Dried buckwheat leaves for tea were manufactured in Europe under the brand name "Fagorutin." Buckwheat contains D-chiro-inositol, a component of the secondary messenger pathway for insulin signal transduction found to be deficient in Type 2 diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). It is being studied for use in treating type 2 diabetes. Research on D-chiro-inositol and PCOS has shown promising results.

Bulgur for human consumption is usually sold parboiled, dried and de-branned. Bulgur is sometimes confused with cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that has not been parboiled. Although traditionally de-branned, wholegrain, high fibre bulgur and cracked wheat can be found in natural food stores. Bulgur is a common ingredient in Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean dishes. It has a light, nutty flavour. Bulgur can be used in pilafs, soups, bakery goods, or as stuffing. It is also a main ingredient in tabbouleh salad and kibbeh. Its high nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous. In Indian cuisine, bulgur is also used as a cereal with milk and sugar.

Couscous - or kuskus as it is known in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt - is a Berber dish consisting of spherical granules made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat and then coating them with finely ground wheat flour. The finished granules are about one millimetre in diameter before cooking. The Levantine variant, popular also in Israel, is about twice the diameter and made of hard wheat instead of semolina. Traditional couscous requires considerable preparation time and is usually steamed. In many places, a more processed, quick-cook couscous is available and is particularly valued for its short preparation time. The dish is a primary staple throughout the Maghreb; in much of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya it is also known as ta'aam, "food".