Table of Contents
- Oldest staple food
- Types of rice grains
- National Rice Ball Day
- Three Favorite Varieties of Rice
- Asia Largest Producer of Rice
- National Rice Month
- Beverage Planting
- Chinese Architecture
- Wedding Traditional
Rice is all about happiness for food lovers. So rice has a permanent place in your pantry, whether it is Indian Basmati Rice, Thai Jasmine, and many more. The details are mentioned everywhere, but the fascinating facts are here for you. So get all the answers to your factual queries now.
Oldest staple food
Rice is the vital and staple food around the world. Half of the population consumes rice, especially in Asia and Africa. Rice is the staple commodity with the third-highest production worldwide.
One-fifth of the calorie intake is provided by the rice to the human in their daily meal. Rice seeds are the grass species of the Oryza sativa, i.e. Asian rice or less common Oryza glaberrima, i.e. African rice. Archaeologist facts are that rice consumption dates back to 5000 years ago and is still the most loved and favorable food globally.
The traditional way to grow the rice is to flood the fields before and after the immature seedlings. Rice is grown on a steep hill or mountain area with the utilization of a water tenancy system. Rice is quickly grown in different environments such as:
- Drought prone areas, submerged and waterlogged regions
- Irrigated and lowland parts grown in both either dry or wet season
- Deepwater or floating rice
- Wetlands of coastal regions
- Drought tolerance area
Types of rice grains
The rice grains have different shapes and sizes. The variation among the shapes is differentiating the rice among the varieties of basmati and non-basmati rice. Among all the exporters of Indian basmati rice, basmati rice is known for its creamy texture and long slender shape.
The rice is known for its fragrance and aroma. Basmati rice has a pleasant taste and authentic flavor, which mesmerizes the mind of the eaters. At the same time, non-basmati rice is a medium and short-grain variety.
National Rice Ball Day
National Rice Ball Day is celebrated on April 19. Japanese cuisine is incomplete without rice balls, as the balls are especially eaten in lunch and picnics. In the 11th century, rice balls originated. Any food item prepared from rice is known as rice balls.
It is twisted, condensed, and fixed together to make a ball size shape. In the USA, the food is famed as the Italian immigrants in the different regions. It will be dipped in vinegar and thus fixed together correctly.
Three Favorite Varieties of Rice
There are 40,000 varieties present worldwide. But there are mainly here varieties that are famous among all the rice eaters i.e.
- Indian Basmati Rice
- Thai Jasmine Rice
- Italian Arborio Rice
Indian Basmati rice is cultivated in India in the Himalayan foothills and nourishes with Ganga and Yamuna. It is a long-grain species and has a delectable flavor. The basmati rice is delivered by Indian basmati rice exporter and millers all over the world.
Thai Jasmine Rice is the variety which most fragrant among all the varieties. The long-grain rice is slim and smooth in texture. It has a sweet flavor and authentic smell, which enhances the taste of the rice. It is non-gluten rice.
Italian Arborio Rice is named following the city of Arborio. It is a short-grain rice that is creamy and chewy due to its high percentage of starch. It is also used in rice pudding.
Asia Largest Producer of Rice
India is the largest producer and exporter of rice in Asia. Many other countries in Asia produce rice like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Philippines, Japan, Brazil, and China. At the same time, West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in India.
Half of the fertile land is under cultivation of rice. With the cultivation of rice, the Asian countries also consume 90% of world rice. Due to the suitable climatic conditions, the rice is majorly cultivated in the Indian subcontinent. In the Himalayan foothills, the rice is cultivated for ages with purity. The Indian basmati rice exporters assure the quality standards before supplying the rice to the clients.
National Rice Month
+Rice has a special place in the Middle East and Gulf country’s kitchen. It is the most commonly used in Asian cuisine. In 1991, President George H.W Bush signed the official public statement designating September as National Rice Month.
The President celebrates and encourages the use of little but impressive grain in our daily life. There are many different traditions or rituals to celebrate the National Rice Month in the USA. For example, in Mississippi, there is an official annual rice tasting lunch held on that day.
Beverage Planting
Many of the alcoholic drinks from rice are made and used in India. Rice wine is a common name referring to alcoholic beverages made from cereals, for the most part, rice, in the Eastern part of Asia.
The vinegar we generally used in our Cool Bean Salad and Great Green Salad is rice. The vinegar made up of rice is mild in comparison to other types of vinegar. There are many health benefits of rice vinegar are:
- Improve digestion
- Liver improvement
- Increase immunity
- Reduce fatigue
- Immune heart health
- Keep weight in check.
- Radiant, glowing skin
- Usual face toner.
Chinese Architecture
The biggest question arises when rice and Chinese architecture are coming in a single line, i.e. is the Great Wall of China made of rice? Under the Ching Ming Dynasty (1300 to 1400), found secretly hiding in the limestone. The longevity and strength of the Great Wall of China lie in the gluten or sticky rice, which is used as mortar.
The sticky paste of flour of rice and slaked lime is used to make this historical infrastructure of China. A component like calcium carbonate and amylopectin is used to create a compact stickiness to the bricks. The rice is also used as mortar in the Nanjing city walls.
Wedding Traditional
The rice has its traditional values. In Indian culture, the wedding ritual is not completed without rice. When people came to attend the wedding. They blessed the bride and groom, throwing rice grain over the head of the newlyweds to desire them richness and fertility in the future.
Rice is the sign of prosperity and wealth, so it is also used during worship. Rice is the symbol of purity in the Hindu Religion. That’s why it is used in offering prayers to god in front of a fire. Grains of rice are applied in the Tilak because it is the symbol of positivity and converts the negative energy into a positive one.