Rice

Rice is a grain belonging to the grass family. The plant, which needs both warmth and moisture to grow, measures 2-6 feet tall and has long, flat, pointy leaves and stalk-bearing flowers which produce the grain known as rice. Rice is consumed by nearly one-half the entire world population and many countries, like Asia, are completely dependent on rice as a staple food.

Rice is one of the few foods in the world which is entirely non-allergenic and gluten-free.

HISTORY

Rice has been cultivated in China since ancient times and was introduced to Pakistan before the time of the Greeks. Chinese records of rice cultivation go back 4,000 years. In Chinese the words for agriculture and for rice culture are synonymous, indicating that rice was already the staple crop at the time the language was taking form. In several Asian languages the words for rice and food are identical. Many ceremonies have arisen in connection with planting and harvesting rice, and the grain and the plant are traditional motifs in Oriental art.

Thousands of rice strains are now known, both cultivated and escaped, and the original form is unknown. Throughout history, there has been one of man's most important foods. Today, this unique grain helps sustain two-thirds of the world's population, yet little is known about the origins of rice cultivation.

Archeological evidence suggests rice has been feeding mankind for more than 5,000 years. The first documented account is found in a decree on rice planting authorized by a Chinese emperor about 2,800 BC. From China to ancient Greece, from Persia to the Nile Delta, rice migrated across the continents, eventually finding its way to the Western Hemisphere.

There is documentation showing that the Buddhist scriptures referred to rice quite often and again, used it as an offering to the gods. Initial evidence from archeologists showed that rice was a valued food dating back as early as 2500 BC during the late Neolithic period in the Yangtze basin.

Enterprising colonists were the first to cultivate rice in America. It began quite by accident when, in 1685, a storm-battered ship sailing from Madagascar limped into the Charles Towne harbor. To repay the kindness of the colonists for repairs to the ship, the ship's captain made a gift of a small quantity of "Golden Seede Rice" (named for its color) to a local planter.
Rice cultivation has been carried into all regions having the necessary warmth and abundant moisture favorable to its growth, mainly subtropical rather than hot or cold.

Early Spread of Rice
Movement to Pakistan and south to Sri Lanka was also accomplished very early. The date of 2500 B.C. has already been mentioned for Mohenjo-Daro, while in Sri Lanka, rice was a major crop as early as 1000 B.C. The crop may well have been introduced to Greece and neighboring areas of the Mediterranean by the returning members of Alexander the Great's expedition to India ca. 344-324 B.C. From a center in Greece and Sicily, rice spread gradually throughout the southern portions of Europe and to a few locations in North Africa.

Economic and Biological Importance of Rice

Rice in Human Life

Among the cereals, rice and wheat share equal importance as leading food sources for humankind. Rice is a staple food for nearly one-half of the world’s population. In 1990, the crop was grown on 145.8 million hectares of land, and production amounted to 518.8 million metric tons of grain. Although rice is grown in 112 countries, spanning an area from 53° latitude north to 35° south, about 95 percent of the crop is grown and consumed in Asia. Rice provides fully 60 percent of the food intake in Southeast Asia and about 35 percent in East Asia and South Asia. The highest level of per capita rice consumption (130 to 180 kilograms [kg] per year, 55 to 80 percent of total caloric source) takes place in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam.

Biological Value in Human Nutrition

Rice has a relatively low protein content (about 8 percent in brown rice and 7 percent in milled rice versus 10 percent in wheat), brown rice (caryopsis) ranks higher than wheat in available carbohydrates, digestible energy (kilojoules per 100 grams), and net protein utilization. Rice protein is superior in lysine content to wheat, corn, and sorghum. Milled rice has a lower crude fiber content than any other cereal, making rice powder in the boiled form suitable as infant food. For laboring adults, milled rice alone could meet the daily carbohydrate and protein needs for sustenance although it is low in riboflavin and thiamine content. For growing children, rice needs to be supplemented by other protein sources.

The Growing Importance of Rice

As a human food, rice continues to gain popularity in many parts of the world where other coarse cereals, such as maize, sorghum and millet, or tubers and roots like potatoes, yams, and cassava have traditionally dominated. For example, of all the world’s regions, Africa has had the sharpest rise in rice consumption during the last few decades.

Rice for table use is easy to prepare. Its soft texture pleases the palate and the stomach. The ranking order of food preference in Asia is rice, followed by wheat, maize, and the sweet potato; in Africa it is rice or wheat, followed by maize, yams, and cassava (author’s personal observation).

Botany

Rice is a member of the grass family (Gramineae) and belongs to the genus Oryza under tribe Oryzeae. The genus Oryza includes 20 wild species and 2 cultivated species (cultigens). The wild species are widely distributed in the humid tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Australia . Of the two cultivated species, African rice (O. glaberrima Steud.) is confined to West Africa, whereas common or Asian rice (O. sativa L.) is now commercially grown in 112 countries.

Origin

The origin of rice was long shrouded by disparate postulates because of the pantropical but disjunct distribution of the 20 wild species across four continents, the variations in characterizing and naming plant specimens, and the traditional feud concerning the relative antiquity of rice in Pakistan,India versus China.

On the basis of historical records and the existence of wild rice in China, Chinese scholars maintained that rice cultivation was practiced in north China during the mythological Sheng Nung period (c. 2700 B.C.) and that O. sativa of China evolved from wild rices. The finding of rice glume imprints at Yang-shao site in north China (c. 3200— 2500 B.C.) during the 1920s reinforced the popular belief that China was one of the centers of its origin (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 1986).

Evolution

The gathering-and-selection process was more imperative for peoples who lived in areas where seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall were more marked. The earlier maturing rice, which also tend to be drought escaping, would have been selected to suit the increasingly arid weather of the belt of primary diversity during the Neothermal period. By contrast, the more primitive rice of longer maturation, and those, thus, more adapted to vegetative propagation, would have survived better in the humid regions to the south . In some areas of tropical Asia, such as like Punjab (Pakistan), the Jeypore tract of Orissa State (India), the Batticoloa district (Sri Lanka), and the forested areas of north Thailand, the gathering of free-shattering grains from wild rice can still be witnessed today.

Antiquity of Rice Cultivation

In Southeast Asia, recent excavations have yielded a number of rice remains dating from 3500 B.C. at Ban Chiang (Thailand); 1400 B.C. at Solana (Philippines); and A.D. 500 at Ban Na Di (Thailand) and at Ulu Leang (Indonesia). Dates between 4000 and 2000 B.C. have been reported from North Vietnam (Dao 1985) but have not yet been authenticated.

1950s, the belief in the antiquity of rice cultivation in China was based on mythical writings in which "Emperor Shen Nung" (c. 2700 B.C.) was supposed to have taught his people to plant five cereals, with rice among them.

Yet in the 1920s, the discovery of rice glume imprints on broken pottery at the Yang-shao site in Henan (Honan) by J. G. Andersson and co-workers (Andersson 1934) was important in linking Chinese archaeology with agriculture. The excavated materials were considered Neolithic in origin and the precise age was not available, though K. C. Chang later gave this author an estimated age of between 3200 and 2500 B.C.

Linguistic Evidence

A number of scholars have attempted to use etymology as a tool in tracing the origin and dispersal of rice in Asia. The Chinese word for rice in the north, tao or dao or dau, finds its variants in south China and Indochina as k’au (for grain), hao, ho, heu, deu, and khaw (Ting 1961; Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 1986). Indian scholars claimed that the word for rice in Western languages had a Dravidian root and that ris, riz, arroz, rice, oruza, and arrazz all came from arisi . In insular Southeast Asia, the Austronesian terms padi and paray for rice and bras or beras for milled rice predominate.

On the other hand, Japanese scholars have also emphasized the spread of the Chinese words ni or ne (for wild rice) and nu (for glutinous rice) to Southeast Asia (Yanagita et al. 1969). N. Revel and co-workers (1988) have provided a comprehensive compilation of terms related to the rice plant and its parts derived from the linguistic data of China, Indochina, insular Southeast Asia, and Madagascar.

Geographic Dispersal and Cogenetic Diversification

The early dissemination of rice seeds (grains) could have involved a variety of agents: flowing water, wind, large animals, birds, and humans. The latter have undoubtedly been most effective in directed dispersal: Humans carried rice grains from one place to another as food, seed, merchandise, and gifts.

The Spread of Asian Rice

Historical records are quite revealing of the spread of Asian rice from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China to other regions or countries, though exact dates may be lacking. In the northward direction, the Sinica race was introduced from China into the Korean peninsula before 1030 B.C. (Chen 1989). Rice cultivation in Japan began in the late Jomon period (about 1000 B.C., [Akazawa 1983]), while earlier estimates placed the introduction of rice to Japan from China in the third century B.C. (Ando 1951; Morinaga 1968). Several routes could have been involved: (1) from the lower Yangtze basin to Kyushu island, (2) from north China to Honshu Island.

From the Pakistan, subcontinent and mainland Southeast Asia, the Indica race spread southward into Sri Lanka (before 543 B.C.), the Malay Archipelago (date unknown), the Indonesian islands (between 2000 and 1400 B.C.), and central and coastal China south of the Yangtze River

The introduction of rice into Europe could have taken different routes: (1) from Persia to Egypt between the fourth and the first centuries B.C., (2) from Greece or Egypt to Spain and Sicily in the eighth century A.D

In the spread of rice to Africa, Madagascar received Asian rices probably as early as 1000 B.C.

Cultivation Practices and Cultural Exchanges

Cultivation began when men or, more likely, women, deliberately dropped rice grains on the soil in low-lying spots near their homesteads, kept out the weeds and animals, and manipulated the water supply. The association between rice and human community was clearly indicated in the exciting excavations at He-mu-du, Luo-jia-jiao, and Pen-tou-shan in China where rice was a principal food plant in the developing human settlements there more than 7,000 years ago.

A system of irrigation and drainage projects of various sizes were set up during the Chou Dynasty. Large-scale irrigation works were built during the Warring States period (770—21 B.C.). By 400 B.C.

Culinary Usage and Nutritional Aspects

Before the rice grain is consumed, the silica-rich husk (hull, chaff) must be removed. The remaining kernel is the caryopsis or brown rice. Rice consumers, however, generally prefer to eat milled rice, which is the product after the bran (embryo and various layers of seed coat) is removed by milling. Milled rice is, invariably, the white, starchy endosperm, despite pigments present in the hull (straw, gold, brown, red, purple or black) and in the seed coat (red or purple).

Parboiled rice is another form of milled rice in which the starch is gelatinized after the grain is precooked by soaking and heating (boiling, steaming, or dry heating), followed by drying and milling. Milled rice may also be ground into a powder (flour), which enters the food industry in the form of cakes, noodles, baked products, pudding, snack foods, infant formula, fermented items, and other industrial products.

Nutritional Considerations

Rice remains a staple food for the majority of the world's population. More than two-thirds of the world rely on the nutritional benefits of rice. Rice is naturally fat, cholesterol and sodium free. It is a complex carbohydrate containing only 103 calories per one-half-cup serving.

The protein quality of rice (66 percent) ranks only below that of oats (68 percent) and surpasses that of whole wheat (53 percent) and of corn (49 percent). Milling of brown rice into white rice results in a nearly 50 percent loss of the vitamin B complex and iron,

Rice, which is low in sodium and fat and is free of cholesterol, serves as an aid in treating hypertension. It is also free from allergens and now widely used in baby foods . Rice starch can also serve as a substitute for glucose in oral rehydration solution for infants suffering from diarrhea.

Outlook for the Future

Since the dawn of civilization, rice has served humans as a life-giving cereal in the humid regions of Asia and, to a lesser extent, in West Africa. Introduction of rice into Europe and the Americas has led to its increased use in human diets. In more recent times, expansion in the rice areas of Asia and Africa has resulted in rice replacing other dryland cereals (including wheat) and root crops as the favorite among the food crops.

Worldwide there are more than 40,000 different varieties of rice. Here are some of the common and popular varieties:

Pakistani varieties

Basmati varieties

Basmati 2000 Rice

Basmati Super

Super Kernel Basmati Rice

PK-385 Basmati Rice

PK-198 Basmati Rice

SUPRA Basmati Rice

SUPER FINE Basmati Rice

Kiran Basmati Rice

Punjab Riceland super fine Basmati Rice

Dehradun Basmati

Hansraj

Supri

KS-282

Irri-9

Irri-6

Vietnamese varieties

Dự Hương Rice

Nàng Thơm Chợ Đào Rice

Nếp cái hoa vàng from Nam Dinh province

Nếp cẩm Rice

Nếp Tú Lệ

Tài Nguyên Rice

Tám Xoan Rice

United States varieties

Akitakomachi rice

California New Variety rice

Calmochi rice

Calrose rice

Wehani rice

Pecan rice

Popcorn rice

Thai varieties

Jasmine rice

White rice

White Glutinous rice

Black Glutinous rice

Red Cargo rice

Brown rice

Spanish varieties

Bahia

Bomba

Calasparra

Senia

Sri Lankan varieties

Samba

Sri Lankan Red Rice

Philippine varieties

Baysilanon

Dinorado

Ifugao Organic Rice

Maharlika

Milagrosa pino

Segadis Milagrosa

Kalinayan

Sinandomeng

IR-841

IR-64

Angelika

Azucena

Malagkit

Wagwag

80 other varieties which include Red, Brown, Black, White, Glutinous rice

Indonesian varieties

Cianjur Pandanwangi (aromatic)

Rajalele (semi-aromatic)

Atomita series (nuclear mutants)

Peta

many deep swamp rice varieties of Kalimantan (Borneo)

dryland rice landraces of Java

Temanggung black rice

Gunung Kidul red rice, Yogyakarta

Indian varieties

Ambemohar

Dubraj rice

Champaa Rice

Clearfield Rice

Hasan serai

Rosematta rice

Navara rice

Raja Hansa rice

Molakolukulu

Patna rice

Ponni Rice

Sona masuri

Sujatha rice

Basmati

Lao / Thai varieties

Sticky Rice

Rice biodiversity in Laos

Nepalese varieties

Pokhareli

Jire Masino

Mansooli

Japanese varieties

Koshihikari

Hitomebore

Hinohikari

Kinuhikari

Nihonbare

Sasanishiki

Kirara397

Hoshinoyume

Domannaka

Akitakomachi

Haenuki

Hanaechizen

Akebono (rice)

Asahi (rice)

Italian varieties

Arborio

Ariete

Baldo

Carnaroli

Lido

Originario

Padano

Ribe

Roma

Sant’Andrea

Thaibonnet

Venere

Vialone Nano

Iranian varieties

Domsiah

Binam

Hasani

Salari

Ambarboo

Sang Tarom

Hasan Sarai

Dominican varieties

Prosequisa 4

Prosequisa 5

Prosequisa 10

Juma 57

Juma 58

Juma 66

Juma 67

Idiaf 1

Yocahú CFX-18

Cristal 100

Toño Brea

Inglés Corto

Inglés Largo

Chinese varieties

Forbidden rice

Canadian varieties

Wild Rice

Cambodian varieties

Neang Malis

Neang Khon

Phka Khnei

Neang Minh

Romdul

Bhutanese varieties

Bhutanese red rice

-like brown rice but semi-milled..

Bangladeshi varieties

Chinigura Rice

Kalijira Rice

sushi rice

Kataribhog Rice

Paijam Rice

Najirshail Rice

Balam Rice

Binni Rice

BrriDhan

Hori Dhan

Irri Rice

Miniket Rice

Hamim

Australian varieties

Amaroo

Reiziq

Jarrah

Koshihikari

Opus

Illabong

Langi

Doongara

Kyeema

African varieties

African rice

New Rice for Africa

Brown Rice

Some popular varieties of rice

Basmati rice This aromatic, long-grain rice is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and is especially popular in Pakistan. The cooked grains are dry and fluffy, so they make a nice bed for curries and sauces. Basmati is available as either white or brown rice. Brown basmati has more fiber and a stronger flavor, but it takes twice as long to cook. Aged basmati rice is better, but more expensive.

Bhutanese red rice This red short-grain rice is a staple in rural areas of Bhutan, a small kingdom nestled high in the Himalayas. It has a strong, nutty flavor and is best served with other assertive ingredients. It cooks much faster than brown rice.

Black japonica rice

Black forbidden rice This has short grains which turn a beautiful indigo when cooked.

Brown rice Many rice varieties come as either brown rice or white rice. Brown rice isn't milled as much as white, so it retains the bran and germ. That makes brown rice more fiber-rich, nutritious, and chewy. Unfortunately, it doesn't perform as well as white rice in many recipes. Long grains of brown rice aren't as fluffy and tender, and short grains aren't as sticky. Brown rice also takes about twice as long to cook and has a much shorter shelf life (because of the oil in the germ). Keep it in a cool, dark place for not more than three months. Refrigeration can extend shelf life.

Converted rice This is a good compromise between nutritious brown rice and tender, fast-cooking white rice. Converted rice is steamed before it's husked, a process that causes the grains to absorb many of the nutrients from the husk. When cooked, the grains are more nutritious, firmer, and less clingy than white rice grains.

Powder or Cream of rice

Glutinous rice or sushi rice One cup dried rice yields two cups cooked rice. Despite its name, this rice isn't sweet and it doesn't contain gluten. Instead, it's a very sticky, short-grain rice that is widely used by Asians, who use it to make sushi and various desserts. You can buy this as either white or black (actually a rust color) rice.

Himalayan red rice This is a Himalayan version of our long-grain brown rice, only the bran is red, not brown.

Instant rice This is white rice that's been precooked and dehydrated so that it cooks quickly. It's relatively expensive, though, and you sacrifice both flavor and texture. White instant rice cooks in about five minutes, brown in about ten.

Jasmine rice or Thai basmati rice One cup dried rice yields three cups cooked rice. Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice produced in Thailand that's sometimes used as a cheap substitute for basmati rice. It has a subtle floral aroma. It's sold as both brown and white rice.

Kalijira rice This tiny aromatic rice is grown in Bangladesh. It cooks fast and is especially good in rice puddings.

long-grain rice Long-grain rice has slender grains that stay separate and fluffy after cooking, so this is the best choice if you want to serve rice as a side dish, or as a bed for sauces. American long-grain rice has a somewhat bland flavor, and is what cookbooks usually have in mind when they call for long-grain rice. Basmati rice, another Pakistani import, has a nutty taste and goes well with many Pakistani/Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Jasmine rice is also aromatic, and usually less expensive than Basmati.

Medium-grain rice Medium-grain rice is shorter and stickier than long-grain rice. It's great for making paella and risotto.

Risotto rice -This plump white rice can absorb lots of water without getting mushy, so it's perfect for making risotto. The best comes from Italy. Arborio is very well-regarded, but Carnaroli, Roma, Baldo, Padano, and vialone nano are also good. The highest Italian risotto rice grade is superfino. Lesser grades are (in descending order) fino, semi-fino, and commune. You can sometimes find brown risotto rice, which has more fiber and nutrients, but it isn't nearly as creamy as white risotto rice. Never rinse risotto rice--you'll wash off the starch that gives it such a creamy consistency.

Short-grain rice -This is sticky, though not as much as glutinous rice. It's a good choice if you're making sushi or rice pudding, and it also works pretty well in a risotto or paella. Brown short-grain rice isn't as sticky.

Spanish rice -This is a medium-grain rice that's perfectly suited to making paella. Varieties include include Granza rice, and the highly regarded Thai purple sticky rice, Thai black sticky rice or Thai black glutinous rice. The color bleeds, so it's best to pair it with other dark ingredients. Thai cooks often use it in desserts.

Wehani rice - This russet-colored rice is derived from basmati rice

White rice - Most varieties of rice are processed into white rice at the mill, where the grains are scoured to remove the husk, bran, and part of the germ. This processing strips some of the nutrients, but make the rice tender and fast-cooking.

Wild pecan rice - This chewy, nutty-tasting hybrid contains neither wild rice nor pecans. It's only partially milled, so it retains some of the bran and has a nutty flavor.

Wild rice - This isn't a rice, but rather a grass seed. Compared to rice, it's richer in protein and other nutrients and has a more distinctive, nutty flavor. The downside is that it's more expensive than rice and takes longer to cook. It's especially good with poultry and game. Cultivated wild rice isn't as expensive--nor as flavorful--as "wild" wild rice.

Rice milk

A liquid made from ground rice used as a milk substitute. A common brand is Rice Dream.

Rice Paper Wrappers

Rice sheets - made from rice flour, salt and water and used as a wrapper for spring rolls. Rice sheet wrappers are a bit softer and more pliable when soaked than tapioca sheets.

Rice Vinegar

A mild flavored vinegar with reduced acidity used extensively in Asian cooking. It is a good vinegar to use in salad dressings.

Rice Wine

An essential ingredient in Chinese cooking and other Oriental cuisines, this sweet wine is made by fermenting freshly steamed glutinous rice with yeast and spring water

Chef Notes

Rice is classified mostly by the size of the grain. Long-grain rice is long and slender. The grains stay separate and fluffy after cooking, so this is the best choice if you want to serve rice as a side dish, or as a bed for sauces. Medium-grain rice is shorter and plumper, and works well in paella and risotto. Short-grain rice is almost round, with moist grains that stick together when cooked. It's the best choice for rice pudding and molded salads. Other specialty varieties include Spanish rice for paella, glutinous rice for sushi and rice balls, and risotto rice for risotto. Most varieties are sold as either brown or white rice, depending upon how they are milled. Brown rice retains the bran that surrounds the kernel, making it chewier, nuttier, and richer in nutrients. White rice lacks the bran and germ, but is more tender and delicate. It's less nutritious than brown rice, but you can partially compensate for that by getting enriched white rice. Brown rice takes about twice as long to cook as white rice. Converted rice is beige. It tastes a lot like white rice, but it has more nutrients. Instant rice is white rice that's been precooked and dehydrated. It's convenient, but expensive and bland.

Chef`s Tips

Always measure rice and water and cook according to timed instructions for perfect, non-sticky rice.

Cook rice with a lid on to prevent steam from escaping.

Rice always triples in volume, so be sure to take this into account when choosing an appropriate cooking pot.

When rice is done cooking, fluff with a fork to avoid sticky or hard rice kernels.

If you like non-sticky rice, saute in a small amount of butter before cooking. Add liquid to saute pan and cook per instructions.

White rice can be kept indefinitely in a cool, dry area.