Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)

Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) is tall grain-bearing plant in the family Poaceae. It is also known as Coixseed, adlay or adlai, and native to East Asia and Penisular Malaysia. Job's Tears has been naturalized in the southern United States and the New World tropics. Job's Tears is commonly, but misleadingly being sold as Chinese Pearl Barley in Asian supermarkets, despite the fact that both are from different genera.

There are two varieties of the species, Coix lacryma-jobi var. lacryma-jobi, and Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen. Coix lacryma-jobi var. lacryma-jobi has hard-shelled pseudocarps which are oval-shaped, very hard, and pearly white in color, normally used as beads for making rosaries, necklaces, and other objects. Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen is grown as a cereal crop and is used medicinally in parts of Asia.

In East Asia, Job's Tears are available in dried form and cooked as a grain. The grains are spherical, with a groove on one end, and polished white in color. Powdered Job's Tears is made into a thick drink called yulmu cha (Job's Tears Tea) in Korea. In Chinese cuisine, a drink is made by simmering whole polished Job's Tears in water with sugar added to the liquid.

In Korea and China, distilled liquors are made from rice and Job's Tears. While in Japan, an aged vinegar is made from the grain. In Thailand, Job's Tears are often consumed in teas and other drinks, such as soy milk. Job's Tears is also used alongside other herbs in traditional Chinese medicine.