Rice

Rice can come in many shapes, colours and sizes

Cooked rice and vegetable

Rice is a type of swamp grass, with the official name of Oryza sativa that has long been cultivated as cereal grain. It is eaten as staple food in many parts of Asia, South America, Central America, Africa etc. It is grown in many warm parts of the world, mainly Asia, Africa, northern Italy, and the west coast of North America.

Most common food item

Rice accounts for 80% of the calories eaten in Asia, or one-fifth of the calories eaten worldwide by humans.

Types

• There a quite a few varieties, over 40,000 cultivars, although only few of them are popular.
• There are two major subspecies indica and japonica.
• Also included in this list are varieties of African rice (Oryza glaberrima) and wild rice (genus Zizania).
• For a list of rice cultivars, see Wikipedia's List of rice cultivars

Rice Plants (IRRI)

Green revolution

The Green revolution refers to the advances made in finding more productive cultivars of rice using research, specifically the IR8 variety of rice developed by the international rice research institute, dwarf wheat, that allowed larger quantities of the grains to be produced, thus reducing the chances of famines and deaths.

Rice dishes

• List of rice dishes

White rice bowl

Fried rice

While cooked white rice or brown rice are cooked in hundreds of ways, mixed with other food items such as meat, vegetables, eggs, dairy such as yoghurt, or curd, fried rice, biryani, and Chinese fried rice remain some of the popular items.

Storage

• Store unopened packages of rice in a cool, clean, dry place. • After opening, keep package tightly closed. • Look at the “Best if used by” or “Best by” date on the package. • For further guidance on how to store and

Rice on a brown table

Preparation

• Bring 1¾ cups water to a boil in a medium pot. • Add 1 cup medium grain rice. Bring to boil again. • Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. • Fluff with a fork before serving. • 1 cup of dry rice will make about 3 cups cooked rice.

Tips

• Rice is a great side dish for meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables. • Rice can be used in recipes for soups, casseroles, or salads. • Medium grain rice is best used in recipes such as puddings, risotto, and stir-fries.

Nutrition information

• ½ cup of cooked medium grain rice counts as 1 ounce in the MyPlate.gov Grains Group. For a 2,000-calorie diet, the daily recommendationis about 6 ounces.

Other websites

• 2004: International Year of Rice
• The International Rice Research Institute Knowledge Bank
• Origin of Chinese rice cultivation
• South Carolina rice planting photos from the early 1900s

• Wikipedia

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