10 things you never knew about rice
Rice has become a staple, not only in the Asian cuisine, but around the globe. It can be found in most homes, with most being able to cook it fairly competently. Whether its fried, boiled, steamed, or even in a pudding- we have all tried rice. But how much about rice do you actually know? These are some of our favourite facts about rice.
- Rice is grown on every continent on earth except Antarctica
- Genetic evidence has shown that all forms of Asian rice is a direct descendent of a single domestication in Ancient China 13,500 years ago
- There are more than 40,000 varieties of cultivated rice
- Asia produces and consumers more than 90% of the world’s rice
- Rice is traditionally thrown at weddings as it is a symbol of life and fertility
- Only one crop of basmati rice can be grown per year
- Basmati rice is literally translated in Hindi as ‘full of aromas’
- Rice can be white, yellow, golden, brown, purple, red, or black.
- In Burma, on average 500 lbs of rice are eaten per person every year
- Uncooked rice can last for up to 10 years on your shelf
