RICE
in Europe
In Europe more rice is consumed than produced, which makes it the fourth largest importer worldwide. Italy and Spain, in that order, are the main producing countries of this continent. Following them are Greece, Portugal and France.
Thanks to its adaptability to the soil and its yield “Japonica” rice (round grain) is the variety that traditionally has been grown most in Europe. However, the European population prefers “Indica” rice (long grain) especially in Nordic countries. Regarding consumption, the prevalence of traditional rice has declined in recent years as specialties such as steamed, long grain or brown have come to occupy the top positions in the ranking of best sellers.
The regions of Lombardy and Piedmont are the main suppliers of rice in Italy and also in Europe. It is since rice cultivation began in the country, in the first half of the fifteenth century, that the sowing of rice fostered the construction of canals to drain the swamps in these areas. Leonardo da Vinci built one on the plains of the River Po.
In the late nineteenth century, Camillo Cavour took charge of building the canal that would take water from the River Po and Lake Maggiore to other rice fields such as those in Vercelli, Alessandria, Novara and Pavia. Until this day this canal has the name of its creator, ‘Canal Cavour’.
This food has not only inspired great constructions, as in Spain, but also great environmental and social consequences on the wetlands; for example, in the region of Doñana, in the Valencian lagoon in and the Ebro delta where it would not be possible to manage with another product.
Rice is one of the basic and ancestral foods of the world’s population and, therefore it is not surprising that in every culture a series of legends and myths exist surrounding this sacred grain.
Despite cultural and religious differences, the one thing that coincides in different civilizations is that rice is a food offered by the gods and should be venerated as such. In China several legends exist as this is currently the country with the largest production. One is that a goddess visited all points of the compass besieged by hunger until in one place she found a herb and undressed in front of it. From the plant’s bud trickled a few drops of milk and the goddess gave a few drops of blood. From this arose rice: white inside and red outside.
The one thing that coincides in different civilizations is that rice is a food offered by the gods and should be venerated as such.
Another Chinese legend tells that in a distant time, the Goddess of Rice competed with Buddha too demonstrate her power. At a celebration held by Buddha, the Goddess of Rice suddenly disappeared and the guests, very unhappy, did not want to continue the party. Aware of this, Buddha then decided to find her and convince her to return. This legend explains how the most ancient of Chinese beliefs, (the Goddess of Rice) shares a major role with the Buddhist religion introduced from India.
In India they tell that one day the goddess Banbarazon, became aware of the hunger that her people were suffering, and to help them, secretly descended to the fields of shoots during the night. When she arrived, she squeezed her breasts until they expressed milk, but the last drop was of blood. From that day on, the buds of the plants produced some useless red grains and the white rice, which served to feed all her people.
Another Indian legend speaks of the god Shiva, who having created a beautiful woman fell in love with her. In order to marry, she imposed the condition of receiving a food that she would never tire of. Shiva could not find it, and the maiden died of grief. Forty days later an unknown plant sprouted from her tomb, which Shiva recognised as the food his beloved desired. He collected its grains and distributed them throughout his kingdom.
The Arabs say that rice comes from a drop of Mohammed’s sweat of and the African legends tell how rice was fertilized with the blood of the first man.
Miyths
and
LEGENDS
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.
The vanguard has accomplished the traditional dishes like boiled rice accompanied with fish, meat, etc. This food has become an innovative ingredient that has now been reinvented by the new chefs.
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.
The origins of
RICE
cultivation:
Neolithic Asia
A long, long time, about 10,000 years ago, rice began its journey from Southeast Asia to India, China and Japan.
There are several versions about the origin of the first cultivation of rice though, among historians, the most popular indicate China as the first country that developed farming of this cereal; however they acknowledge that it was in India where it was first found in its wild form.
It all started in China before the fifteenth century BC in the fertile Huang Ho and Yang-Tse Kiang river valleys. It is now known that rice was grown in Hunan from the years 8,200-7,800 BC, thanks to the results of Carbon 14 analysis on grains of rice in bowls discovered in excavations located in Pengtou Xiang. Even before this evidence of rice cultivation prior to 6,000 BC in Zhejiang Province near Hangzhou had been found.
The development of various trade routes from Asia to other parts of the world led to the expansion of cultivation, as the grain itself was used as a currency for trade.
The Conquest of the world, ‘grain by grain’
The development of various trade routes from Asia to other parts of the world led to the expansion of cultivation, as rice itself was used as a currency for trade. Rice arrived in the Mediterranean 350 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Already in the fourth century BC, its farming was widespread in Mesopotamia, thanks to the commercial exchanges that the Persian King Darius established with China and India.
The Greeks and Romans were also familiar with rice, but more as a medicinal plant than for food. The work “Ten cookery books” of Apicius refers to rice starch as a mixture to bind sauces. Around the eighth century of our era the Arabs introduced it to the Spanish coasts from the basins of the Euphrates and Tigris. In fact the origin of the name, as we know it today, comes from the original Arabic word “ar-rozz”.
After the Arabs established it in Spain and from there throughout Europe, rice continued on its way and crossed the Atlantic, to be introduced in the Americas by the hand of Christopher Columbus in the second half of the sixteenth century. Its prestige in Europe was such that some written works on French cuisine refer to a rice pudding of almonds and cinnamon that the king offered to St. Tomas Aquinas at a banquet.
Regardless of the stories that can be told about rice, as well as the endless efforts its cultivation takes, its progress does not slow and at present still continues making history. It was in 1912 that a rice company revolutionised the rice market launching the first ever packet of rice aimed at the consumer, with a weight of one kilogram, thus reaching every home in the world. Today it is grown in over 42 countries. And in recognition of its vital importance and course, historical and human, the UN proclaimed 2004 the International Year of Rice (Resolution 57/162 of 28 January 2003). Its history is such that, day to day, many can count as their own.
It is known that rice is essential for much of humanity, since it constitutes the basis of the daily diet of almost two billion people. Over the centuries, endless stories were forged about it, demonstrating the importance of this cereal in the world’s food.
In China, for example, by way of greeting people ask, “Have you eaten your portion of rice?”. If the answer is affirmative, it means the person is well. This anecdote does not imply that rice is food exclusively for Asians. In fact, one third of the world’s population consider this cereal essential to survive. There are people all around the world who, if they can’t count on a plate of rice at their table, feel that their diet is incomplete. Some historians declare that this cereal originates from Southeast Asia and has been cultivated for more than seven thousand years. There is evidence of its consumption prior to the year 5,000 BC in eastern China and from 6,000 BC in a cave in northern Thailand.
The nationality of rice is controversial, as is its history. Researchers of the subject believe that rice is native to southern Asia as it grows wild in India, Indochina and China. While it is true that in these areas many varieties have developed spontaneously since very ancient times, other researchers say it is originally from Africa, having later moved to Asia. A third hypothesis assures that it appeared simultaneously on both continents. What is indisputable for all is that it is one of mankind’s oldest foods.
History books report that in Persia and Mesopotamia rice is found in diplomatic and commercial exchanges by the Persian king Darius with China and India. In records from that time, it is stated that the Chinese emperor Sheng Nung (2,700 years BC) held a ceremony in which five grains were sown: rice, wheat, millet, soybeans and sorghum. However, he himself planted rice, thereby giving it a higher value.
Later, during China’s expansion westward, rice spread throughout Egypt and Syria. In 300 BC, Greek philosopher and botanist Theophrastus cites oruzum as an exotic plant unknown to his people. Other researchers note in their studies an early agricultural and comestible classification of rice. They describe that its origin took place in the central region of southwest Asia and determine two centres, India and Burma.
According to historians among the Greeks and Romans rice was considered an exotic luxury coming from the east, consumed only by the richest people in society. At the time of Nero, the Greek physician Dioscorides describes its cultivation as a very effective ingredient for gastrointestinal problems. On their part, the Romans Horace, Pliny and Columella recommended its use as an infusion. They say that it was Alexander the Great who brought rice as a food from the Middle East.
The Spanish claim that it was the Arabs established in the kingdom of Al-Andalus who were responsible for the first rice fields. What is certain is that rice was a very expensive item during all the Middle Ages.
History notes as significant the account in which the Count of Savoy who, in the year 1250, bought a certain quantity of rice to prepare cakes for his court.
At this time rice was not cultivated in Milan but was imported from Asia and only found in specialised shops. It is at the end of the eighteenth century that the Visconti family decide to introduce rice fields on their land and are thus, the first Italian rice fields were born.
History declares that rice came to Latin America during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus. As for North America, it was a Dutch ship, coming from Madagascar that introduced it in 1685.
In older oral narratives, rice is described as a Hindu deity. It was treated as a gift from heaven, presented by God to humanity to alleviate hunger. Nevertheless in order to obtain it, it is necessary to apply great efforts in its cultivation.
In our culture, since we were childen we have learnt that rice is a symbol of fertility and abundance and because of this it is traditional to throw rice over the heads of the couple after a wedding, to wish them luck, a good future and a numerous offspring.
It is likely that American traditions had arrived through Eastern customs because rice is, among Shintoists, the crucial food for ritual use as bread is to Catholicism. The Japanese emperor celebrates a ceremony in which he shares rice with the Sun Goddess to offer the light of wisdom. It symbolizes the salvation of mankind and its regeneration.
Historical
INCIDENTS
The Banaue Rice Terraces
Humanity’s cultural heritage
The borough of Banaue is located in the county of Cordillera on Luzon, one of more than 7,000 islands that make up the Philippine archipelago. In this region, at an altitude of 1,525 metres above sea level, thousands of hectares of rice fields carpet the mountainsides forming, what is considered, the Eighth Wonder of the World: the Banaue Rice Terraces. These rice fields, with 2,000 years of history that the Ifugao natives have carved generation after generation, were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.
In the endless ascending, narrow terraces, the Ifugao continue to harvest rice in the fashion of their ancestors. Through an irrigation system based on bamboo pipes the streams flow channelled through the thousands of year’s old terraces. This agricultural system is recognized worldwide for its surprising harmony. During the rainy season the peaks of the hills absorb the water and gradually distribute it in the rice terraces, subsequently avoiding what could cause major flooding and erosion. Furthermore, the rice fields are natural filters that provide drinking water for the inhabitants of the valleys. It is a natural system in which society, cultivation, agriculture, climate and nature cohabit and interact harmoniously.
Furthermore, the rice fields are natural filters that provide drinking water for the inhabitants of the valleys.
The harvest season, in October, is a special celebration in which the natives chant the “hudhud”. This is chanted recital, dating from the seventh century, is composed of two hundred stories each with forty episodes and in which a woman, because it is a matriarchal culture, sings the lead voice. The celebrations last between three to four days and it is also sung at sowing and at wakes.
Although internationally recognized as a wonder of nature, the Banaue Rice Terraces are under threat. On the one hand, there is a change in population growth, which means that the young heirs of the smallholdings see themselves increasingly drawn to urban life, cinscious of the difficulty in maintaining and cultivating paddy fields, as their ancestors did. Tourism is another threat to this “stairway to heaven,” given that the number of visitors has multiplied to maintain local incomes. Tourism has stimulated industrial production, the deterioration of harvesting areas and water shortages created by the necessity of distributing the spring water to hotels and restaurants. Some natives of Banaue have already left farming because it has become easier for them to live on tourism. They earn a little income from ecotourism (responsible travel, inspired by nature), renting out homes as accommodation, allowing their photos to be taken for money or, for those who know the area well, working as tourist guides.
As one of the most ancestral cereals on Earth rice was revered by all who tasted it until it became a way of thinking; a culture in itself and in a thousand year old tradition.
Rice has crossed all borders possible and even penetrated into the languages with its own logic. In traditional Chinese, “rice” and “agriculture” are defined as the same word. The words “rice” and “food” are sometimes the same. Instead of saying, “How are you?” as a greeting the Chinese ask, “Have you eaten rice today?”. And another Chinese expression says “he/she broke the rice bowl,” when someone is fired or rejected for a job. From their point of view, the Japanese, even today, refer to the grain as their “mother” and regard rice farmers as guardians of their culture and the countryside.
In India, rice is the first food that a bride offers her husband.
Once old customs, now rituals
Due to the significance of rice, certain customs and rituals derived from the relationship between people and this food still continue to be followed. The proof is in is its role at weddings. All over the world, people continue to throw rice at the newlyweds as a symbol of abundance and fertility. In China, young women are warned that “every grain of rice on the plate that they leave on a plate will be an acne scar on the face of their future husbands.” In Japan, where rice fields are given names of people, they believe that soaking rice before cooking releases the life energy and grants the diner a more powerful soul. The emperor celebrates a ceremony that gives rice to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, symbolizing the salvation of mankind. And still, in India, rice is the first food that a bride offers her husband. A proverb says that “the grains of rice should be like two brothers: close but not united.” And in Indonesia, no woman is ready for marriage if she doesn’t know how cook rice well.
It is worth highlighting rice in rural native ceremonies to ask the gods for a good harvest. In the Celebes Islands, the “Day of Sacrifice for the Harvest” three girls, on returning home at dusk, walk hitting the ground with tubes filled with rice seed and singing “Strike, oh friends, as we contemplate, contemplate the humble, humble soft rice. ” Rice plays a pivotal role as an instrument in the rhythms that accompany these practices. In western Malaysia and Thailand, to dehusk the fresh rice, holes are made in a wooden trunk lying on the ground, into which rice is poured and is pounded with apples by a row of women.
Rice is also a magic ingredient. In some cultures, it is used for divination. In 2005, a religious leader in the Chiriku Hachimangu shrine on the island of Kyushu (Japan) predicted (on 15 February of that year), by interpreting a stew of rice, “This year was a good stew. However I saw an unusual crack” and then he announced to the people, “You must be prepared for earthquakes”. On Sunday, March 20th 2005 there was an earthquake of magnitude seven on the Richter scale on the island. It was the strongest registered there since 1997. Naturally rice itself is amazing and it is even more so as a cultural ingredient.
The culture
of RICE:
costoms
and
rituals
RICE:
cultural
heritage
Culture is the eyes that see for the first time. The spirit and work that unite people inspire the souls of those who see them.
In the vast Mekong River Delta, a multitude of people from various places with distinct cultures joined to tame the land and cultivate their staple crop. And they have succeeded. Now various rural lands including this one have become authentic scenery, themselves worth seeing, as the need to stem the water in the patchwork of the rice fields formed, on a large scale, spectacular landscapes.
On a daily basis the resolve, the blood and the sweat that created great works and constructions are considered “the wonders of the world.” The landscapes of rice fields are not far behind. Under the attentive eye of the traveller they were apportioned different meanings consonant to who was appreciating them. Then, and now, the land still demands great effort for the cultivation of rice, to build and maintain the system of terraces or to harmonise the cultivation model with soil erosion, the ploughing of land and the basic necessities of fertilisation.
For humanity
UNESCO declared the Banaue Rice Terraces (Philippines) a World Cultural Heritage site; who knows if its serpentine, incomplete curves that rise to the peak of the mountains, like symmetric lines form impressive scribbles? Consequently, they were named the “stairway to heaven.” According to the organization’s actual words, “(…) the high rice fields of the Ifugao have followed the contours of the mountains. The fruit of knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance, they have helped to create a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment.”
In Europe, near the Mediterranean, the panorama of rice field plains at the foot of the snow-covered Alps inspires dreams.
Longi, Ailao Xiang y Guangxi (China) have nothing to envy. Here, the symmetry plays with the reflections of the water, creating unique and unusual spaces that blend with the explosive colours of dusk. And the same happens over the vast rice paddies of the Mekong delta, in Vietnam as well as Bangladesh, India or Thailand. All over Asia, a succession of celebrations take place where rice is distinctly present. Such is the case in China at Yuan Xiao Jie (Feast of Glutinous Rice Balls or Feast of Lanterns) where it is customary to enjoy glutinous rice balls (called Yuanxiao) which, filled with delicacies symbolise family unity, or in the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India with the festival of Pongal.
On the other side of the world in Europe, near the Mediterranean, the panorama of rice field plains at the foot of the snow-covered Alps inspires dreams. A unique view in northern Italy, home of risottos and rice dishes appreciated worldwide. Fame that paella in Spain also boasts where rice is likewise a cultural symbol of good luck, which is what is wished for the new couple when throwing rice at the newlyweds. And in Africa, in the intense summer heat of the Nile Delta, people seek refuge from the heat in the cool air of the rice fields.
On the official website of the FAO, “Rice is Life” (http://www.fao.org/rice2004/es/rice1.htm), states that “no efforts will be spared to preserve other production systems based on rice and declare them Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
Types and variaties of
RICE
It can be long and thin grain, glutinous, brown, Thai or Basmati … There are over 2,000 varieties of rice in the world, although those that are grown are much fewer.
Most varieties of rice come from two wild species, one Asian (Ouryza sativa), which first appeared in the mountains of the Himalayas, and one African (Ouryza glaberrima), originating in the Niger Delta.
Given the size of a grain rice can be divided into several types: long, medium and short or round grain. The first is greater than 6 mm, light, very dry, and remains fluffy after cooling, so it is normal to use it as an ingredient in salads. In this group are the aromatics; Basmati from India and Pakistan and Thai rice with its characteristic aroma of jasmine, Ferranini from Italy and American Bond, among others.
Those that are medium grain measure between 5 and 6 mm and appear shorter and more rounded than long grain rice. Their flavour is milder and has a softer texture. Short or round grain rice gets its name because it is almost as wide as it is long (about 4-5 mm long and 2.5 mm thick).
Among medium grain rice, Arborio is worth highlighting while the Spanish Júcar, Baía or Bomba rice are the in short grain group. Another variety of short grain is glutinous rice, which contains a high percentage of starch and whose grains and stick together after cooking. It is used frequently to prepare risotto.
Varieties
As for varieties, the main ones are: white rice, a long grain, from which the husk and bran are removed. Its quality is recognized all over the world. When cooked, the grains tend to remain separate. Another variety is brown rice, which retains most of the bran covering the grain, which gives it a particular shade of brown. It has higher fibre content than the other varieties, and on eating, is slightly chewy. Similar to brown rice is steamed or parboiled rice, as it has the same nutritional value and a similar golden colour, turning white when cooked. Before selling it undergoes a special process that stops it breaking up or sticking and, although it takes longer to cook, is a very nutritious product and the grains are always fluffy.
Furthermore there is red rice of Asian origin and so called because the grains have a red bran layer. Usually grown in infertile soils and mountain areas and most of it is ground into white flour for cooking. Finally, there is black rice, also Asian, rich in B vitamins and trace elements. This variety is grown in China, Indonesia and Thailand and is characterized by its thin layer of black bran that covers a white grain.
