Job's Tear = Coix lacryma-jobi

Job’ tear is Coix lacryma-jobi, a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae ( grass family ) native to East Asia.  It is known as vjanti beads ( Sanskrit ), Juzudama 数株玉 ( Japanese ), yulmu 율무 ( Korean ), bali ( Malay ), luk dueai  ลูกเดือย ( Thai ).   In mandarin, its called 川谷 ( pinyin : chuān gǔ ) or 薏苡 ( pinyin : yì yǐ ) for the plant, and 薏仁 ( pinyin : yì rén ) for the grains.  They are sometimes also referred as coix seeds.

It has several synonyms : C. agrestis, C. arundinacea, C. exalatata, C. lacryma.

Job’s tear gets its name from the droplet-shaped seeds of the plant that resemble tears.  It is also related to the biblical man of the Old Testament’s Book of Job, who endured great suffering.  

The specific epithet lacryma-jobi, also derived from the tear-producing lacrimal grand located near the eyes.

It is often mistakenly referred  as Chinese pearl barley, despite the fact that its not same as barley ( Hordeum vulgare ), which is 大麦.

There are 2 varieties :

Coix lacryma-jobi var lacryma-jobi which has hard shelled pseudocarps which are very hard, pearly white, oval structures used as beads for making rosaries, necklaces, etc.

Coix lacryma-jobi var ma-yuen which is harvested as a cereal crop and is used medicinally in parts of Asia.

In Korea, a thick drink called yulmu cha 율무차 is made from powdered Job’s tear.

In Chinese cuisine, 薏米水 ( pinyin : yì mí shǔi ) is prepared by simmering whole polished Job’s tear in water and sweetening with sugar.

In Korea and China, distilled liquor are also made from the grain.

In Japan, it is used to make vineger.