Rice

From sushi to risotto and from rice pudding to pilau, few foods are as ubiquitous as rice. A dietary staple and indispensable agricultural product from Asia to the Americas, rice can be found in Michelin-starred restaurants and family kitchens alike. Rice has played a significant role in society and the food economy as it journeyed from Asia and West Africa to global prominence.

Trade in rice was powered both by profits from high-status export rice and by the use of lower-quality rice in feeding countless labourers. It came to be used in kitchens around the world because the culinary traditions of slaves and indentured labourers were taken up by the cuisines of their host countries. The rise of rice continues today as newer immigrant communities arrive. The pressures of urbanization, and increases in marketing and advertising, have also contributed to the rise of a processed rice industry that is continuing to expand. The result is that the kind of rice one eats is a clue to the cultural and ethnic groups one belongs to, and rice in its many forms has been celebrated in cultural rituals, literature, music, painting and poetry. Chock full of delicious recipes from across the globe, Rice is a fascinating look at how this culinary staple has defined us.

Renee Marton interviewed by Leonard Lopate on WNYC Radio.