Rice

Basic Info

The rice crop is a plant that has served as an important staple food for many, many cultures around the world. In my family, it is the base of a hearty supper and a flexible ingredient that can be used in many dishes. 

Being a cereal grain and therefore a type of grass, these crops are angiosperms. 

Oryza sativa, the most common rice species, was domesticated in the Yangtze River Valley over 10 millenia ago, and is thus naive to Asia.

The scientific name comes from Latin words for "rice" and "cultivated".

Importance to my family

This plant is incredibly important to my family. My father's family farmed this in the short summer season on China's northern coast and he has really enjoyed seeing this plant grow throughout his childhood. This is the staple meal that we eat almost every day, so it is critically important for my own life as well.

Importance as a crop

Asian rice is a domesticated crop and the most commonly consumed staple food, feeding around half of the world's population. Therefore, it is vitally important for the sustenance of the human species. 

Due to the importance of this crop, there are efforts underway to engineer rice resistant to drought, flooding, saline, and extreme temperature conditions. Improving the yield of rice crops is also crucial for feeding the world's growing population.

Other varieties

Oryza sativa comes in two varieties, the sticky japonica variant and the long-grained indica one.

African rice, Oryza glaberrima, is another species of rice that has a distinct flavor and is native to Africa. It has now been mostly replaced by the much more common Asian variety.

“Oryza Sativa.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryza_sativa. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

“Rice.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Dec. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.