Rice

Rice is easily one of the most popular and oldest foods worldwide. Archaeologists have traced it’s origins to about 10,000 b.c. in Asia, and since then, as the grain has spread west, the number of variations has consistently increased. Although there are only two primary types of rice—long grain (Oryza sativa indica) and short grain (Oryza sativa japónica)—there are something like forty thousand varieties of grain under those broad categories. The distinctions stem largely from the length of the grains, but also from fragrance, color, the degree to which the grains are milled, and the ability to absorb liquid. There are only a few basic ways of cooking rice, but an endless number of rice dishes from around the world.