Preface

There are many kinds of cereal and grains that were consumed by our ancestors that could potentially provide solutions to issues of food and nutrition insecurity around the world. Within this context, a pseudocereal can be defined as one of any non-grasses that are used in much the same way as cereals (true cereals are grasses). Like any other cereal, the seed of a pseudocereal can be ground into flour and otherwise used as cereals. In ancient times, these pseudocereals served as staples for many civilizations because they were able to withstand harsh weather conditions, thus having the potential to curb any gaps and voids in the food supply chain throughout the year.

This book provides an overview of pseudocereals, including information on their nutritional value and processing techniques.

I would like to extend my appreciation to the contributing authors for their many wonderful chapters. Also, my heartfelt appreciation goes to IntechOpen with whom I have worked on many book projects. Finally, I wish to thank Publishing Process Manager Ms. Jasna Bozic who provided valuable support throughout the preparation and publication of this book.

With so many crisis situations around the world, it is my sincere hope that those who are interested and involved in doing research and investigations on pseudocereals will find this book to be a valuable resource. I also hope that the scientific community will come to view pseudocereals as a means of combating the global food crisis.

> **Dr. Viduranga Y. Waisundara** Deputy Principal, Australian College of Business and Technology – Kandy Campus, Kandy, Sri Lanka
