Brittany: Functions of Rice

Types of Rice

· Long grain

· Medium grain

· Short grain

Processing Types

· Enriched rice

· Converted rice

· Instant white rice

Varieties of Rice

· Arborio

· Aromatic rice

· Basmati

· Glutenous rice (sweet rice)

· Jasmine

· Texmati

· Wehani

· Wild pecan (popcorn rice)

Myth of Rice Gift

· Chinese myth tells of rice being a gift of animals rather than of gods

Areas Grown

· Middle and lower Yangtze River basin

~richest and most productive agricultural region

~known as the “rice bowl” of China

~produces half of the country’s rice

· South China

~long growing season

~rice is a main crop

~contains the most productive farming region in Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) delta plain

Tools for Cultivation

· Iron ploughs

~Zhou dynasty

· Chain pump

~ Han dynasty

· Water wheel pump

~Invented in the Tang dynasty, widely used by Song dynasty

Festivals with Rice

· Spring festival (New Year)

~New Year’s cake – Gao

· 15^th night of the 1^st lunar month

~Rice dumplings

· Dragon Boat festival

~Zongzi

· 9^th day of the 9^th lunar month

~Double nine festival cakes

· 8^th day of the 12^th lunar month

~Porridge