The oldest and most modern food

Rice reserves the right to longevity. Now, as before, it continues to be fashionable. In the past, it was a delicacy only for gods and kings. Nowadays, packaged conveniently in kilos, it reaches all tastes.

There are some things that never change. In respect to cultivation methods, the system of flooding continues to dominate the land where rice is grown. Scientists are working to develop methods that require less water. Also at the moment, they are employing growing methods that alternate between dry and wet (intermittent flooding) and dry cultivation without flooding (dry land and reduced irrigation).

The work in rice fields is still arduous, but mechanization has made it more bearable. The work was much harder when everything was done "by hand". Harvesters fitted with caterpillar tracks, special wheels for the movement of mud etc. have made many tasks such as sowing, harvesting etc. much easier, which has increased yields.

From firewood to modern kitchens

The revolution was not just in the countryside, it also came to the kitchen stoves. And, most importantly, evolution has not left traditions behind. Both live together at the same table. Rice cooked in pots or casseroles (broths, soups) has ceased to be cooked over charcoal embers and small branches, moving on to be prepared on stoves of gas, electric, glass-ceramic, induction, etc. without decreasing the quality of these dishes.

Yet not so long ago, casseroles of rice were being made in public ovens, on the embers of freshly harvested wood from the mountains and with the smell of thyme. Now, electric ovens have greatly sped up the task without losing any flavour. The pressure cooker has revolutionized cooking: rice is ready in 10-15 minutes for those who do not have much time in the kitchen.

The vanguard has accomplished the traditional dishes like boiled rice accompanied with fish, meat, etc. fried rice, rice in sauces. This food has become an innovative ingredient that has now been reinvented by the new chefs.