Rice Basics

One of the most versatile grains in the world, rice is eaten daily by more than 300 billion people. Rice grows in all conditions on nearly every continent. Most rice eaten is white rice, that is with the husks (hulls) removed and milled, because it stores better and is more highly esteemed. Many different cultures have embraced rice — thus we have dishes as diverse as the Italian risotto, American gumbos, Indian pulaos, Middle Eastern pilaffs and Southeast Asian rice noodle stir-fries, to name just a few.