What are Jobs Tears?
Job’s tears are the grains of a tropical Asian grass, Coix lacryma-jobi, which is also referred to as Job’s tears in common nomenclature. These grains have a number of uses, from foods to ornaments, and they appear to have been harvested and cultivated for thousands of years. Many Asian markets sell Job’s tears in their grain sections for cooking. Beaders and craftspeople also use Job’s tears, and they may be found at beading and craft stores for this purpose. The common name for Job’s tears comes from their distinctive teardrop shape, although the tears are sometimes ascribed to different people, such as Mary, in the case of Mary’s tears, Christ’s tears, and so forth. The plant does not appear to have any religious significance, despite the Biblical references in its common names, although the grains are sometimes used as the beads in rosaries.
