Rice

There are thousands of varieties of rice. Some estimates put the number at more than 100,000, with at least 8,000 currently or in recent times having been cultivated for food. Rice is grown on every continent except Antarctica and has an amazing ability to adapt to a broad range of growing conditions. In America we consume somewhere around 20 pounds of rice per person per year. This seems like a lot until you compare it to parts of Southeast Asia where average consumption tops 500 pounds a year.