advanced intellectual syntheses: life as rhythmic, death as a return, and so on These syntheses were essential to man’s development, and were possible only after the discovery of agriculture — Patterns in Comparative Religion, 1958 In the Odyssey, Homer called wheat and barley “the marrow of men’s bones.” It’s less obvious to us in the modern industrialized world than it has been through much of human history, but seeds remain the essential food of our species Grains directly provide the bulk of the caloric intake for much of the world’s population, especially in Asia and Africa The grains and legumes together provide more than two-thirds of the world’s dietary protein Even the industrial countries are fed indirectly by the shiploads of corn, wheat, and soybeans on which their cattle, hogs, and chickens are raised The fact that the grains come from the grass family adds a layer of significance to the Old Testament prophet Isaiah’s admonishment that “All flesh is grass.” As ingredients, seeds have much in common with milk and eggs All consist of basic nutrients created to nourish the next generation of living things; all are relatively simple and bland in themselves, but have inspired cooks to transform them into some of the most complex and delightful foods we have Some Definitions Seeds Seeds are structures by which plants create a new generation of their kind They contain an embryonic plant together with a food supply to fuel its germination and early growth And they include an outer layer that insulates the embryo from the soil and protects it from physical damage and from attack by microbes or animals The most important seeds in the kitchen fall into three groups ... create a new generation of their kind They contain an embryonic plant together with a food supply to fuel its germination and early growth And they include an outer layer that insulates the embryo from the soil and. .. generation of living things; all are relatively simple and bland in themselves, but have inspired cooks to transform them into some of the most complex and delightful foods we have Some Definitions Seeds Seeds are structures by which plants...admonishment that “All flesh is grass.” As ingredients, seeds have much in common with milk and eggs All consist of basic nutrients created to nourish the next generation of living things; all are relatively