Making Rice

Making Rice

Rice is a very important food for more than half of the world's people. In many Asian countries, rice is eaten at every meal. Many areas of the world havegrown rice for thousands of years. In China, scientists discovered rice fields that were over 8, 000 years old. That means rice has been a part of life in China for a very long time. Growing and cooking rice are a part of China's culture.

There are about 7, 000 kinds of rice. They include long- and short-grain rice, sweet rice, wild rice, and brown rice. Rice is low in salt and fat. It is an excellent source of starch. Rice is grown in many countries of the world. It grows in fields called paddies. Some rice needs lots of water to grow. So some rice paddies are flooded with water.

Many people greet each other by saying, “ How are you?" But in China people greet each other differently, They say, " Chi fan mayo?" It means, " Have you eaten rice yet?" Rice is used in many other Chinese sayings, too. If you say, “ I lost my rice bowl, " it means “ I lost my job. " Throwing a rice bowl on the floor is an insult and a sign of anger.

The Chinese teach their children that they must eat every grain of rice in their bowls. It is a way of showing appreciation for farmers who work hard in the rice fields.

Rice is used to make many things in China. Parts of the rice plant are used to make paper and baskets. But the most important product is food. Rice grain is used for making rice wine and vinegar. Rice can be crushed into rice flour. The flour is used to make rice cakes, noodles, and sweet treats. Rice is used to make many tasty dishes, such as chicken-fried rice. You are going to learn to make this dish. But first, you must learn how to make plain rice. It's easy, so let's try it.