Refers to the grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). In modern Japanese, it is most commonly encountered in the compound 玉蜀黍 (とうもろこし, corn/maize), but もろこし alone specifically means sorghum.
Sorghum is a drought-resistant grain.
In this region, there is a custom of grinding sorghum into flour and eating it.
corn; maize
sweet sorghum
Johnson grass; Egyptian millet
Rare kanji spelling. 唐 refers to China/Tang, and 黍 means millet. Not commonly used in modern writing.
Katakana spelling, often used in botanical or agricultural contexts, or for emphasis.
Rare kanji spelling. 蜀 refers to Sichuan, and 黍 means millet. Not commonly used in modern writing.
The word もろこし is believed to derive from 唐 (morokoshi), an old name for China, suggesting the grain was introduced from China. The kanji 蜀黍 and 唐黍 reflect this origin, with 蜀 referring to Sichuan and 唐 to Tang China, and 黍 meaning millet.