The major difference is the biological one – the grain is a fruit which contains one seed inside, but looks like a seed because the fruit component is thin, dry and fused to a hard seed coat that looks just like a seed coat itself.
There are other differences, however, which are best represented by showing a table with various definitions and word uses.
|Biological difference||Doesn’t have an ovary. It is a ripened ovule.||It is a ripened ovary with one ripened ovule inside.|
|Biological difference||Is not a fruit.||Is a fruit with one seed inside.|
|Biological difference||Has no fruit component.||The fruit part of the grain is dry and is fused (stuck with) with the seed coat (cannot separate them).|
|Biological difference||Has no bran.||Has bran – a fusion of fruit wall and hard seed coat.|
|Common agricultural use||Usually planted to grow plants.||Harvested for food for livestock animals and humans.|
|Culinary constituent difference||Frequently used in culinary purposes for their higher fat and fiber contents.||Carbohydrate content predominates. Used primarily for culinary purposes for their carbohydrate content.|
|Culinary usage difference||Snack, sprinkle on breakfast cereal or in salads, seed and nut energy bars, seed and nut protein snacks, oils.||Carbohydrate component of the main meal: flour products, pastas, noodles, rice dishes, breads, tortillas, biscuits, cakes, pizza bases, breakfast cereals.|
|Examples||Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds||Grass family: wheat, barley, rice, corn, barley. Pseudo-grains: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat.|