Where does rice come from?
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Rice is eaten by many, many people in the world. In terms of the foods we eat, rice is considered a grain, even though the plant it grows from is a grass.
Rice grows in lots of different places including China, India, Japan, Brazil, and the U.S. Fields of rice are called "rice paddies." Rice paddies are covered in water and the plants grow immersed in water!
When rice is first harvested it is covered in a tough outer husk that is removed from the kernels before we cook and eat it.
In many countries, rice is a staple food that is eaten regularly by a large number of people, and which those people rely on. Rice is a popular choice because it's tasty and also healthy. Brown rice, for example, contains lots of protein as well as vitamins and minerals!
Exploration
Rice Rules! Here are some cool facts about rice!
- Rice is such a popular crop that as many as 950 billion pounds of it are grown a year! (That's a 9 and a 5 followed by TEN zeros!)
- Certain ancient cultures were known to eat rice. It's believed that rice was being grown in China as many as 9,000 years ago!
- The average rice plant grows to be about 4 feet tall. Have a grown up help you measure that in comparison to your own height
