Some of the many varieties of rice
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From the Spanish paella and Italian risotto to the Indian biryani and the Japanese sushi, rice shows up on tables around the world in delectable ways. Not surprisingly, it is a staple food for over half the world’s population. But, thousands of years ago, it was just another wild grass growing in the wetlands of Asia … until humans recognised its “food-worthiness” and began cultivating it. Centuries passed as they perfected the art of growing and cooking rice, and took it from place to place. The crop became so embedded in different Asian cultures that, even today, countries argue over who grew and ate it first.Countless varietiesWhen thinking of rice, the first image is of a tiny white grain. This is usually a highly processed grain stripped of the many layers coating it at the time of harvesting. While this makes the grain last longer (the outer layers spoil more easily) and cook faster, it reduces nutrients. Nevertheless, if you look closely at the different white grains of rice sold in a store, you will notice that they are not all alike. Some are long, others are short. Some are thin, others are stout. Some turn fluffy when cooked, others are sticky.It is not surprising that a plant which humans have grown for centuries has countless varieties. Experts, though, have whittled down the vast variety of cultivated rice into two main types: Oryza sativa, the older and more popular type, which is grown all over Asia, and Oryza glaberrima, which emerged in West Africa more than 2,000 years ago.
