Rice
Rice, scientifically known as Oryza sativa, is a crucial staple food and a member of the grass family, with two primary varieties: indica and japonica. It is cultivated extensively worldwide, with global production exceeding 500 million tons, primarily for domestic consumption. Asia dominates rice cultivation and consumption, accounting for over 90% of the world's rice output, with China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh being the leading producers. The crop thrives in various climates, with indica rice flourishing in monsoon tropics and japonica rice requiring temperate zones with controlled water conditions.
Historically, rice cultivation is believed to have originated in India around 3000 BCE and spread to southern Europe during medieval times. Harvested rice is referred to as paddy or rough rice until it undergoes milling, which produces the polished grain suitable for consumption. Besides being a dietary staple, rice has diverse applications, including in breakfast cereals, flour for baked goods, and even as ingredients in alcoholic beverages like sake. Additionally, the plant contributes to other industries through byproducts such as rice hulls, used for animal feed and fertilizers. Wild rice, a distinct species, is also valued for its nutritional and cultural significance, particularly in North America.
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Rice
The rice plant, Oryza sativa, is a member of the grass family, classified into indica and japonica varieties. World production of rice exceeds 500 million tons. Most countries cultivate rice for domestic consumption, so less than 5 percent enters the export market. China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, in that order respectively, are the world leaders in rice production and consumption. More than 90 percent of the world's rice is grown and consumed in Asia. In 2016, China, where 90 percent of the rice is irrigated, remained the world's largest rice producer and consumer. The United States generates only about 2 percent of world rice production, but almost half of US production is exported. Rice cultivation almost certainly began in India, where it dates back to about 3000 BCE. During medieval times it spread westward to southern Europe.
Cultivation
Monsoon tropics are ideal for indica rice, which is commonly cultivated in China and Southeast Asia. The plants can adapt to uncertain conditions. The japonica type of rice requires precise water control as well as weed and insect control. It is cultivated in temperate zones such as the United States, Australia, Japan, Korea, and certain parts of China.
Rice is self-pollinated, and the grain is enclosed in the palea, or hull. Harvested but unmilled rice is called paddy or rough rice. Milling of rough rice by any of several processes yields the polished grain that is ready for consumption. Rough rice contains approximately 10 percent protein, 65 percent starch, 2 percent lipids, 5 percent minerals, and 18 percent hull/bran. The unhulled whole rice kernel also contains thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin. Parboiled rice can be stored for long periods.
The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines has contributed significantly to the development of high-yielding types of rice, beginning in the mid-1960s. The development of these plants is considered a significant part of the 1960s Green Revolution in agriculture. Some of these varieties demand complete irrigation systems year-round that help keep the soil submerged under about 6 inches (15 centimeters) of water. Next to corn, rice provides the farmer with the greatest yield when plants are cultivated with the necessary care. The crop grows well in irrigated and flooded areas.
Cooked rice is mostly consumed in its whole grain form. Puffed rice and flaked rice are common breakfast cereals, and rice flour is used in bakery products. Laundry starch is made from rice starch. Rice hull is used in cattle feed as well as fertilizers. The rice plant produces oil for food and industry and thatching material for roofs and mats. The Japanese alcoholic beverage sake is made from a process that involves the fermentation of rice.
Wild Rice
The plant commonly known as wild rice, Zizania aquatica, is actually a separate genus found in North America. Like rice, wild rice is an annual grass, and it grows mostly in lakes and streams. Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and southern Canada provide a good harvest of wild rice. Wild rice, once a staple of the diet of American Indians in those regions, has become a popular side dish.
Bibliography
Carney, Judith Ann. Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2001. Establishes the independent domestication of rice in West Africa and its vital significance there well before Europeans arrived, discrediting the notion that Europeans introduced rice to West Africa and then brought the knowledge of its cultivation to the New World. Carney asserts that Africans and African American slaves transferred rice seeds and cultivation skills to the Americas.
Mohanty, Samarendu. “Trend in Global Rice Consumption.” IRRI, 2013, irri.org/rice-today/trends-in-global-rice-consumption. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
Piper, Jacqueline M. Rice in South-East Asia: Cultures and Landscapes. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Shows how rice, as a staple food and as a source of livelihood, determines the yearly rhythm as its major ceremonials mark the changing seasons for much of the population of Southeast Asia.
Shimamoto, Ko. Molecular Biology of Rice. New York: Springer, 1999. Describes how advances in genome analysis and transformation have made rice a model monocot for molecular biologists. Discusses these technological impacts on rice breeding.