Growing rice is hard but important work. In many Asian countries, the word rice is also the word for rice.
An old Chinese story tells how rice became good to eat. At one time, the grains of the rice plant were empty and not good as food. One day a goddess saw people suffering because they were always hungry. To help the people, the goddess secretly filled the grains with milk. That made the rice good to eat. From then on, people were not so hungry.
The story shows how important rice is. For more than half the people in the world, rice has been the main course at every meal for thousands of years.
Southeast Asia’s hot, wet climate is perfect for growing rice. Farm families in China, Vietnam, and other rice-growing countries plant young rice seedlings in large, flooded fields. When the rice begins to ripen, they drain the water from the fields. At harvest time, they gather and dry the rice.
Rice is much, much more than food. Rice is used to make alcohol, paper, cosmetics, glue, starch, paste, and vinegar. Rice stalks are used to make brooms, hats, mats, rope, sacks and sandals.
Picture Credit : Google