By 2050, cities will feed 70 per cent of the world population, which will by then have reached 9 billion. Though maize is the most produced in the world, it is rice that is universally consumed. With a milled rice production volume of 522 million tonnes, rice is a staple food for over half of the world’s population. It is particularly important for countries like China and India, who are not only its largest producers but consumers too. It is consumed in various forms, from steamed rice to rice flour, and is integral to many cultural cuisines and traditions.
Few foods are as universal as rice, yet its story is anything but ordinary. ‘Without rice, even the cleverest housewife can’t cook.’ From the ancient paddies to kitchens and markets around the world, this unassuming grain has become both a dietary staple and a cultural cornerstone. In this engaging account, Chef Renee Marton unravels the rich history of rice, tracing its remarkable journey through centuries of trade, migration and culinary innovation. The origins of some of the rice dishes go as far back as the Moghul dynasties. Just imagine, rice is also a principal ingredient of Budweiser.
Cultural, culinary value
Spread over five chapters the book explores cultural and culinary value of rice, influence of ancient trade on rice, its spread in the new world, and the emergence of the modern consumer. Cultural customs and rice rituals are no less significant. Rice and fertility are almost synonymous, bride and groom have it as the first food eaten. Rice explores how rice has shaped societies and cuisines, from sustaining mighty empire to inspiring arts. While Christ may not have ever talked about it, Krishna, Confucius, Buddha, and Muhammad had special liking for it.
Rice has a fascinating history which began in the foothills of the Himalayas, in Southeast Asia, southern China and Indonesia. Its domestication evolved in India and China, and subsequently spread in east Asia and the rest of the world. The rice grains were reported growing some 15,000 years ago, and were put to non-edible uses as well. Glutinous rice, cooked as thick paste and mixed with lime and sand, was used as mortar that made up the Great Wall of China. In its journey through long history, rice also fed soldiers and prevented famines.
The importance of rice to society has been studied extensively. Rice has followed society wherever it went or evolved. For Chef Marton, the global history of rice is a valuable study of rice rituals and customs. Mouth watering and tantalising recipes from across the globe are not listed without reason, as these offer a captivating exploration of how this humble grain continues to define and connect us. Such has been the role of recipes that the widely popular sushi was acceptable as a form of tax payment, way back in 718 CE.
Rice is a highly adaptable cereal grass that grows in most environments. Irrigated rice accounts for 50 per cent of cultivated rice, and represents 75 per cent of the little over 700 million tonnes of rice harvested. Under the changing climatic situation, however, irrigated rice has come under serious question. Water is a limiting fact, and so is methane emission from irrigated paddy fields. Methane is more potent as a greenhouse gas, it traps around 120 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. Rice will have to go through these challenges in the coming years.
Demethanation has emerged as a new challenge for growing rice. Will rice be a less water guzzling crop, that will also promote demethanation is the million dollar question? The global history of rice does not address the emerging challenges. Rice talks about it as an ancient crop, and focuses on the changes it has gone through the new world. However, imminent climatic challenges are what will determine the future of rice.
The reviewer is an independent writer, researcher and academic
Title: Rice: A Global History
Author: Renee Marton
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Price: ₹1,225
