Job's Tears
By: Helen Pitlick

About

Similar to Chinese pearl barley, Job's tears are a grain popular in East Asia.

Information
Other names: Coixseed, Adlay, Adlai, Coix lacryma-jobi
Translations: Darba devēja asaras, Darbo ašaros, Lacrimile lui Iov, Nước mắt của công việc, Łzy pracy, Job's tranen, नौकरी का आँसू, Lágrimas de Jó, Работа Слезы, Τα δάκρυα του Ιώβ, عمل في الدموع, 직업의 눈물, Pracovní slzy, Jali-jali, Job's luha, 薏苡, Les llàgrimes de Job, Solze Job's, Pracovné slzy, Lacrime di Giobbe, עבודה של דמעות, Jobs tårar, Посао је Сузе, ジョブの涙, Las lágrimas de Job, Робота Сльози, Jobin Tears, Работа сълзи


Physical Description
The grains should be spherical in shape with a slight groove on one end. The color is polished white, though it is possible to find unpolished and brown grains in certain markets. 
Colors: Polished white or unpolished brown


Tasting Notes
Flavors: Umami, sweet
Mouthfeel: Crisp, Sweet
Food complements: Cold soup called sâm bổ lượng
Wine complements: White
Beverage complements: Yì mí shǔi (薏米水), Soy milk
Substitutes: Rice


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: february, march, april, may, june
Peak: march, april, may
Buying: You can purchase online or find at your local wholefood center.


Preparation and Use
Job's tears are dense, rich in minerals, and easy to use in a variety of recipes, so the case of mistaken identity can be forgiven. Job's tears are also cultivated as ornamentals, incidentally, and Western gardeners may not be aware that the large grains on these grasses are perfectly edible.
Cleaning: You can rinse thoroughly with cool running water prior to preparation and use. 


Conserving and Storing
Store at room temperature. 


Social/Political
Jobs tears are native to tropical Asia and naturalized in North America. It is 1 to 3 m (3 to nearly 10 feet) tall. Job’s tears receives its name from the hard, shiny, tear-shaped beads that enclose the seed kernels. 
History: The grains are shaped similar to tear drops and they're use in rosaries led to the name. Though there are conflicting stories of whose tears the grains represent, it is almost always biblical in nature.