Sweet in taste, slightly cold in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats lightness of the body (making the body feel light) and eliminates heat. Long-term consumption increases strength and promotes vigorous walking; when prepared as bran/flakes, it becomes warm in nature, aiding digestion and harmonizing the middle jiao (middle burner).
This refers to the barley currently fed to horses. Its inherent nature is hot, yet the text states it is slightly cold; this discrepancy likely arises from confusing the properties of flakes with those of whole grains. Practitioners of food therapy typically consume both large and small wheat/barley varieties, which promote bodily lightness and robustness.

[Commentary by Su Jing et al.]
Barley is cold in nature; Tao Hongjing’s claim that it is hot is incorrect. His statement that flakes differ in nature from whole grains is also noted; these observations were made cautiously due to the scarcity of barley in the Jiangdong region.

Sweet in taste, slightly cold in nature, non-toxic. Primarily eliminates heat, relieves dry thirst, dry throat, promotes urination, nourishes Liver Qi, and stops bleeding (such as spontaneous bleeding or hemoptysis). When used to make wheat koji/fermented starter, it is warm. However, wheat flour/noodles are warm in nature and cannot eliminate heat or relieve irritability.
When boiling wheat for soup, the grains should remain intact; this method is specifically for treating conditions involving heat. If processed into noodles/flour, it becomes warm, indicating that wheat itself possesses such properties. Currently, practitioners of food therapy find that consuming noodles is less effective than consuming large and small wheat/barley, though still superior to rice.

[Commentary by Su Jing et al.]
When preparing wheat soup, the husk must not be cracked; if cracked, the nature becomes warm, confirming that noodles cannot eliminate heat or relieve irritability. Wheat koji stops dysentery, harmonizes the Stomach, primarily treats pediatric epilepsy (convulsions), aids digestion, and treats hemorrhoids caused by food stagnation. There are also "Nü Qu" (Female Koji) and "Huang Zheng" (Yellow Fermentation). Nü Qu is made from whole wheat, also known as Qu Zi; Huang Zheng is made from ground wheat.

Sweet in taste, slightly cold in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats Wei Bi (Stomach obstruction/stiffness), Heat in the Middle Jiao, Xiao Ke (Wasting-thirst syndrome), stops dysentery and diarrhea, promotes urination, benefits Qi, tonifies the Middle Jiao, promotes bodily lightness, and extends longevity.
All grains referred to as Liang Rice belong to the millet category, distinguished primarily by the color of their sprouts. Green Liang originates here but is rare in the Jiangdong region today. The *Fan Shengzhi Shu* states: Liang is Shu Mi (glutinous millet), but current common usage differs.

[Commentary by Su Jing et al.]
Green Liang has hairy husks and spikes, green kernels, and slightly green rice grains, but they are finer than Yellow or White Liang. Consuming it monthly provides excellent cooling effects, but due to its bland taste and unappealing color, it is inferior to Yellow and White Liang, leading to low cultivation rates. This grain matures early but yields little; when processed into maltose syrup, its clarity surpasses other rices.

Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic. Primarily benefits Qi, harmonizes the Middle Jiao, and stops diarrhea. Yellow Liang also originates from Qing and Ji provinces, but is not seen in this region.

[Commentary by Su Jing et al.]
Yellow Liang originates from Shu, Han, Shang, and Zhe regions, where it is also cultivated. It has large, long-hairy spikes, and its grains and kernels are coarser than White Liang, but yields fewer seeds and is less resistant to drought and flooding. Consumption results in yellow roots. Tao Hongjing’s commentary on White Liang mentions that the bamboo-root-shaped variety from Xiangyang is [actually] Yellow Liang, not White Liang.