It was—is—cultural, the indelible result of growing up in an environment where rice is revered. The Japanese are, of course, not alone. They belong to the majority of the world's population that values rice highly enough to eat it every day, often multiple times a day. Over half of the people on the planet rely on rice as a staple food, which means it constitutes a dominant part of their nutritional diet, and that's despite the fact that it is relatively difficult to produce, store, and trade, compared with other grains.
Much of the rice grown across the world most of it in Asia is still produced using extremely labor- and resource-intensive methods. Because rice is typically eaten as a whole grain, rather than as a meal or flour, the costs associated with storing and trading rice are higher than, say, those required for wheat flour, or oats.
And, finally, because rice is not a monolith but rather a bunch really, hundreds if not thousands! And yet, incredibly, we still produce it by the millions of tons, and we still, all over the world, love to eat whatever type of rice we love to eat.
Even though it's costly to produce, even though it has resisted generations upon generations of technocrats' efforts to become easier to produce, and even though there are many, many other grains and foods that can function as dietary staples like sweet potatoes and yams , which you can often purchase for less money, with less hassle, and without regard for variety or type. Yes, we humans like it that much. But what is it, really? Where did it come from? How did it evolve? What's the difference between all those bags on the grocery store shelves?
Why is there so much rice? Answers to one or two of those questions are below. Rice, like other grains, is the edible seed of a grass. It is unique among grains in that it was domesticated not once, not twice, but three times, on three different continents.
See, we really, really love it! The rice that most of us are familiar with today comes from Oryza sativa , subspecies of which produce rice as varied as the vinegared stuff used in sushi and the long and fluffy grains found in biryani, and it was domesticated in China anywhere between 8, and 13, years ago.
While the rice domesticated in Brazil no longer exists, having been abandoned after European colonizers arrived, African rice Oryza glaberrima was domesticated some 2, to 3, years ago and is still grown today, although solely for sustenance; it is unlikely you'll ever find examples of it in stores.
Once domesticated, Oryza sativa spread across Asia and, subsequently, the world, but not before two major subspecies emerged. The japonica subspecies of rice is marked by short, fat grains that are typically sticky when cooked; "sushi" rice is japonica , as are the varieties of rice traditionally used in Italian risotto , such as Carnaroli and arborio. Then there's the indica variety, which has long, thin grains that are drier and flakier when cooked.
Basmati rice is one of the most widely known examples, and those big bags of Carolina rice you see at the grocery store are also of the indica variety. Rice is also classified according to the way it's grown, with the main distinctions being upland versus lowland rice terms that refer to the altitude at which the rice grows and irrigated versus rainfed rice terms that refer to the water source used.
But even though rainfed upland varieties of rice make up a far smaller proportion of total rice production in the world, there are nevertheless million people who rely on that kind of rice as their staple food. The history of rice makes plain that one of the main reasons behind its near-ubiquity as a staple food is its adaptability as a crop: Different varieties can be grown like wheat or maize in upland areas, with little to no irrigation, even as their near-cousins can thrive in tropical or temperate environments, with extensive irrigation.
But there is another aspect of rice that explains its popularity: taste. The history of rice also shows that people all over the world come to love the taste of rice, and not just any variety. Different peoples at different times come to adopt taste preferences regarding rice, which have often refused to be moved by technological advances. For example, when Champa rice, an early-ripening and drought-resistant variety that would eventually change the nature of rice cultivation worldwide, was introduced to China in the 11th century, many farmers adopted it in order to more easily pay their rice tax to the government, even though an older variety of rice was far more prized.
Coclanis, Edda L. Fields-Black, and Dagmar Schafer. If you have any interest in the long, tumultuous, and controversial study of the history of rice, this is an excellent resource.
Similar challenges emerged during the s Green Revolution; during the Great Leap Forward in China obviously, a bit different in spirit , but the goals were similar ; and, even more recently, with efforts like the Golden Rice Project , which is producing a genetically modified variety of rice with the hope of addressing the problem of micronutrient deficiency.
In each of these examples, agricultural advancements designed to increase rice yields have had to contend with the reality that rice is not just a single, fungible commodity, but a class of commodity that is made up of many, many varieties, each of which has a specific market due to cultural taste preferences.
You can make the mango sauce a day ahead to save time. It takes just 20 minutes to whip up our easy teriyaki chicken , perfect for feeding the family in a hurry. The thick honey and soy sauce takes minutes to make and is vastly superior to shop-bought versions.
Serve with steamed Asian veg like pak choi. Serve up a satisfying supper for two with our Thai red duck with sticky pineapple rice. Marinate the duck breasts in spicy red curry paste and citrussy lime to soak up even more of the flavours before cooking. This healthy dinner option is full of colour and texture to brighten up your midweek menu.
How to make gnocchi How to make icing sugar How to cook baby corn How to cook topside of beef Healthy Thai recipes. Subscriber club Reader offers More Good Food. Sign in. Back to Recipes Pumpkin recipes Butternut squash See more. Back to Recipes Chicken slow cooker Veggie slow cooker See more. Back to Recipes Cheesecakes Cookies See more. While a spoon and a fork are what the Thais usually use when they eat long-grain rice, the best utensil for sticky rice is your hand with a fork being the second-best choice.
Do your best not to let the rice get too saturated with liquid as the moisture will break apart the stickiness that holds the grains together. Sometimes a meal gets long and sticky rice gets cold mid-meal despite every attempt to keep it warm.
In this case, simply re-cover the bowl and pop it in the microwave. If the rice has also become a little dry, a very light sprinkling of water before it goes into the microwave works wonderfully.
Sticky rice has the best texture when freshly cooked, but leftover rice can be refrigerated for up to two to three days in an airtight container. Reheat it in the microwave as detailed above. At this point, the grains separate easily and behave very similarly to cooked long-grain rice. This means whatever you usually do with leftover long-grain rice—using it to make fried rice, for example—can be done to leftover sticky rice.
What does it mean — sticky? The thing is, any short grain rice is considered sticky in comparison to its long grain counterparts. This is due to the difference in starch contents which vary from one type of rice to another.
Even within the same type of rice you see a difference in starch content.
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