Rice and Wild Rice are the September Grains of the Month

The Whole Grains Council honors rice and wild rice (two different crops) as grains of the month for September.

There are wild varieties of the various types of rice. Domesticated rice is a grass plant, either of Asian or African descent. The Asian grain was first domesticated in China over 9,000 years ago. The African grain was more recently domesticated.

The rice plant produces many grains on each stem. It is often grown in irrigated environments, such as rice paddies in Asia, although it can’t survive continuous submergence. It can also be grown in areas with adequate rainfall.

Rice has always been a labor-intensive crop. Many of us in the western world can picture Chinese persons in conical hats bent over while standing in water as they transplant individual seedlings in paddies or manually harvest and thresh the grains. Now, rice farming has become mechanized.

Rice comes in a variety of colors. White is the most common on the market now. However, white rice is not a whole grain. White rice has been milled, leaving only the endosperm. Most people are also familiar with brown rice. Brown rice is a whole grain, because it still has its bran and germ, with only the husk or chaff removed. 

Other colors of rice exist beside white and brown! Black rice (legendary as Forbidden Rice) has extra anthocyanins, which are the deep purple colors in blueberries. There’s also purple, golden and red rice. What fun!

The size of the rice grains also varies. Short-grain rice, often used for sushi or puddings, is sticky when cooked. Cooked long-grain rice is fluffy, not sticky, and may be aromatic like Jasmine and Basmati types.

What is sold as wild rice is not actually rice at all. It is another type of grass plant that grows in shallow water mainly in North America and Asia. In North America, it was traditionally harvested by NativeAmericans who thresh the grains directly into canoes. Compared to white rice, wild rice is higher in protein and is a good source of several minerals and B vitamins.

Both types of rice are versatile, nutritious, and gluten-free grains. Rice is the staple food for over half the population of the earth, with China, India, and Indonesia being the largest consumers.

September is Whole Grains Month. For more information on how whole grain foods affect your health, stop by Healthinfo Island this month and check out the poster set at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24