Wednesday August 22nd is World Jollof Rice Day
The Importance Of Rice
From Wikipedia "Rice is the seed (an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering.) of the grass (Poaceae (/poʊˈeɪsiaɪ/) or Gramineae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous (Monocotyledons commonly referred to as monocots, are flowering plants whose seeds typically contain only one embryonic leaf) flowering plants known as grasses, commonly referred to collectively as grass) species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice).
As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population.
It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production
- Sugarcane, 1.9 billion tonnes
- Maize, 1.0 billion tonnes
- Rice, 741.5 million tonnes in 2014
Rice behind Sugar and Mazie in production
Rice provides 20% of the world’s dietary energy supply, while wheat supplies 19% and maize (corn) 5%.
So Is Rice as A Crop Important To The World?
Rice is the most important human food crop in the world, directly feeding more people than any other crop according to ricepedia. Well if there is a whole pedia on it then it must be important, but more then that 3 billion people – rely on rice every day. The domestication of rice ranks as one of the most important developments in history.
Rice Farmers In Africa, Slaves in America
African rice (Oryza glaberrima) has been cultivated for 3500 years. So there has been skills and knowledge amassed over generations in working the land and growing rice for your tribe, community, family and yourself.
In 1694, rice arrived in South Carolina, America probably originating from Africa. Colonial South Carolina and Georgia grew and amassed great wealth from the slave labor obtained from the Senegambia area of West Africa and from coastal Sierra Leone. At the port of Charleston, through which 40% of all American slave imports passed, slaves from this region of Africa brought the highest prices due to their prior knowledge of rice culture, which was put to use on the many rice plantations around Georgetown, Charleston, and Savannah. Another skill brought by slaves from Africa.
Rice culture in the southeastern U.S. became less profitable with the loss of slave labor after the American Civil War, and it finally died out just after the turn of the 20th century.
In Africa, rice is the fastest growing food staple. It has been the main staple food for at least 50 years in parts of western Africa (Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and for some countries in the Indian Ocean (Comoros and Madagascar).
Cooking Methods
For more on cooking methods see Africa Rice cooking methods on ricepedia.
See Africa Rice for basic statistics like production, Imports and exports and more Rice the world and Africa.
Do you know what Jambalaya is?
A traditional Louisiana rice dish, its highly seasoned and flavoured with sausage, ham, seafood, pork or chicken.
Do you know what a Risotto is?
An Italian dish which is rich and creamy, the rice is sautéed in fat and then cooked in a broth.
Nutritional Benefits of Rice
Rice Flour
Ground Rice. Is rice that has been coarsely milled. This produces rice similar to semolina and is used in baking and puddings such as Rice bread
Rice beer
Products from Rice
Key words in the world of rice
Easy cook
Tilda
Uncle Ben
Organic
Thai sticky
Spanish Paella
Risotto
Basmati
Brown
Quinoa
Whole gain
Wild rice
Added to rice
Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Lemon
Herbs
Coconut
Lemon Grass
Chilli
Tyme
Corriander
Egg
See World Jollof Rice Day 2017 and World Jollof Rice Day 2016