Ten (10) Interesting Facts About Rice You Should Know

Most People love rice and would eat it at least ones in everyday. Whether as Jollof, fried, white or with beans, people would not miss an opportunity to show their love for rice. However a lot of people who eat rice, know very little about it. Like When and where did farmers first start growing rice, types of rice and so on. Therefore, for the love of rice, dabgist.com brings you 10 rice facts you should know…

1. According to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) half of world’s population, three and half billion people depend on rice. China is the leading rice producer in the world.

2. There are more than 40,000 different varieties of rice. Of the 40,000 varieties, more than 100 are grown worldwide, but only around 10 percent are marketed and sold.

3. The difference between brown and white rice lies in the way they are milled. When the first outer layer, husk of rice is removed, you get brown rice. When you further mill it and remove bran and germ layer, then polish or bleach it, you get white rice.

4. Nutritionally brown rice is richer of the two. White rice does contain most of the essential vitamins and minerals, including B-group vitamins (thiamin, niacin) zinc and phosphorus found in brown rice, though in lesser quantity. However, they differ significantly in terms of their fiber content. A cup of brown rice content 3.5 grams, while an equal amount of white rice doesn’t even content 1 gram. Fiber is not only filling, but is recommended in the prevention of major diseases such as certain gastrointestinal diseases and heart diseases.
A cup of brown rice (232) has slightly more calories than white rice (223). And surprisingly white rice has less fat than brown rice, (0.2 grams per cup vs. 1.2 grams per cup).

5. Uncooked white rice has long shelf life, about eight to 10 years. However, uncooked brown has shelf life of only three to six months, primarily due to bran and germ being intact. It’s also a good idea to store the rice in a cool dry place, or better yet in your refrigerator or even freezer.

6. Rice is a symbol of life and fertility, which is why rice was traditionally thrown at weddings.

7. It takes between 3 and 6 months for a rice plant to reach maturity, depending on the variety and where it is grown.

8. Three of the world’s four most populous nations use rice as their staple food – China, India and Indonesia. Together, these countries have 2,500 million people.

9. Rice and its by-products are used for making straw and rope, paper, wine, crackers, beer, cosmetics, packing material, and even toothpaste.

10. Practically everywhere, except Antarctica! Rice is grown on flooded land and on dry land, in tropical rain forests of Africa and in arid deserts of the Middle East, on coastal plains and on the Himalayan mountains.
Which of the above listed did you know before???

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