Rice
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Rice |
| Scientific name | Oryza sativa |
| Taxonomic group | Poaceae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Economic botany | Food plants; Fermented products |
| Food plants | Grains and cereals |
| Keywords | Gramineae |
Rice. Rice dates back to at least 5,000 years ago in China, and reached India just a few hundred years later, although it is not yet clear when and where it was domesticated. Rice can be grown in several ways: irrigated in standing water (the archtypical rice paddy), as a dry upland crop, in flooded areas, or in lowlands where rain provides the water. In addition, many different cultivars exist, and a different species (Oryza glaberrima) is sometimes grown in West Africa. Apart from being used as a staple food, rice can be used to make alcoholic beverages, such as the Japanese "sake."
