What is rice?
Rice is the seed of a grass plant and one of the world's most important foods. It is a staple for more than half of the world's population, especially in Asia.
The most common type is Asian rice, Oryza sativa, first domesticated in China about 9,000 years ago. A separate species, African rice, was domesticated in West Africa. Rice is usually grown in flooded fields called paddies, which help control weeds, though some types are grown on dry land.
There are thousands of varieties, often grouped by grain length. Long-grain rice, like basmati and jasmine, cooks fluffy and separate. Medium- and short-grain rice, like arborio and sushi rice, is stickier. Brown rice keeps the bran layer and is more nutritious, while white rice has the bran and germ removed.
Feeding the world
China and India grow the most rice, together producing more than half of the world's supply. Rice provides a large share of daily calories for billions of people. Rice terraces in Asia, such as the Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines, are among the world's most impressive farming landscapes.
Did You Know?
In many Asian languages, the word for cooked rice is also the word for meal. In Japanese, gohan means both.