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“Have you eaten rice today?” In Asian countries where rice is a staple, asking whether you have eaten rice is the equivalent of ‘how are you?’ If you haven’t had rice, you haven’t really eaten. Meals are defined by rice. It feeds half the world’s population every day, sometimes more than once a day.
Central to many cuisines around the world, Oryza sativa is one of the world’s oldest and most important crops, steeped in cultural and religious significance wherever it is traditionally cultivated. As a grass species, it includes two main subspecies: the shorter-grained, sticky ‘japonica’ and the long-grain ‘indica.’ The two subspecies were once believed to originate from separate domestications in India and China, but recent research into the genetic sequencing of rice suggests that it is more likely to have come from China about 8,000 to 9,000 years ago and carried to India by traveling farmers and merchants. The story of rice’s origins traces humanity’s migrations over time and has shaped the development of entire civilisations.
This is because traditional rice cultivation is not a solo operation. Wet rice cultivation, in particular, involves the careful and precise management of water. Water, being what it is, always drains downhill, necessitating the sharing of a precious resource between families within a community. The sowing of seed, harvesting of crops and annual reparation of canals, reservoirs and terraces is so labour-intensive that it cannot be achieved without collaboration and merging of resources. This need for cooperation and collective decision-making between families is said to have formed social organisation in Japan and contributed to the development of a culture in which the harmony of the group is valued over that of the individual. Many of Japan’s rice growing regions were hit hard by the tsunami which inundated fields with seawater. Rice is salt-sensitive; it will be interesting to see whether the biotechnology industry uses this as an opportunity to pitch new salt-tolerant varieties to Japanese farmers. This is a concern as it reduces the biodiversity of the local industry. A lesson can be learnt from the introduction of certain cultivated varieties to Taiwan in the 1970s which led to the extinction of many of its wild rice species. A few seasons of abundant rain could help the soil in Japan to recover quickly and make the introduction of salt-tolerant varieties unnecessary, but salinity is not the only problem. Last year, the crop of many small-scale producers exceeded radiation safety standards. These producers are desperately hoping for better results this year, but the tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi disaster is creating cultural and environmental challenges for a nation that has a strong preference for eating its own rice.
While the domestic cultivation of rice has thousands of years of tradition in Japan and across Asia, it was only much later that it was adopted in Europe. Arab conquests of the seventh century introduced new ingredients, and the influence of Persian cuisine is evident in Spanish paella and Italian risotto. Carnaroli, the creamiest and most highly prized risotto variety, has a silky exterior while retaining a slight crunch in the centre when cooked. It’s perfect for making Matt Wilkinson’s rose geranium-infused rice pudding. The result is fragrant, decadent and decidedly adult, yet so sweetly comforting that it’s like eating x-rated baby food. It’s the only recipe to ever sell me on the merits of rice pudding.
Australia has one of the most technologically advanced rice industries in the world, with much research and development invested in reducing water consumption. Impressively, the industry has more than halved its water use from 1985 to 2000 and uses 50% less than the world average for rice production. When on holiday in Thailand I was shocked to find empty rice bags labeled ‘Product of Australia’ drying on the riverbanks. It turns out about 90% of Australian rice is exported. The argument in favour of rice export is that rice cultivation leads to the clearing of forested land in other countries. While there may be some truth to this, it seems arrogant and self-serving to tell countries with monsoonal rain patterns and long-standing cultural and religious traditions associated with rice cultivation that they are better off importing rice from wealthy countries like Australia. After all, industrially grown rice requires high inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. Given that Australian rice is irrigated from the already highly-compromised Murray-Darling Basin, it’s debatable whether this is the best use of resources in a country that does not have a strong culinary tradition of rice consumption compared to the rest of the world. A handful of biodynamic rice growers in Australia are cultivating rice (including a variety that is entirely rain-fed), using production methods that actually improve the soil and the surrounding environment. It seems more sustainable to support biodynamic cultivation that supplies a small local market rather than large export markets.
With several thousand varieties cultivated globally, rice has adapted to cuisines and landscapes the world over. There is a taste and texture for everyone. Basmati is renowned for its strong perfume, while Jasmine rice also has a slightly more delicate fragrance. In Thailand, black (or, more accurately, purple) basmati is also found. Brown and red rice offer a nutty quality and chewy texture and are more nutritious than the white, polished grains, which have had their protein and vitamin-rich bran removed in the milling process.
I find black rice particularly interesting and versatile. The Chinese variety is known as forbidden rice because the commoners were forbidden to eat it by the elite in ancient China. Because it’s unmilled, it retains a beautiful, dark husk that lends it a rich colour and intriguing texture. I can’t get enough of it at the moment which is lucky because black rice is jam-packed with anthocyanin antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. It’s perfect in salads, or if using the Thai variety, black sticky rice pudding with coconut milk (see my article on limes for the recipe).
Black rice and black-eyed pea salad
This makes a refreshing lunch salad, perfect for taking to work. If you plan to eat it as leftovers, mix in the avocado at the last minute so it doesn’t brown in the fridge. The ingredients are flexible depending on what’s in season. The idea is to have a combination of crunchy, zesty, creamy and sweet ingredients.
1 cup black (or forbidden) rice
1 cup dried black-eyed peas (soaked overnight)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 red chili, seeded and diced
1 green chili, seeded and diced
½ red onion, diced
1 avocado, chopped
bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Dressing
juice of 2 limes (or lemon)
small knob of ginger, grated
3 tablespoons of olive oil
clove of garlic, finely diced
Follow the cooking instructions on the packet for the black rice. Cooking time can vary depending on the variety, but generally 25 minutes is enough with a ratio of almost double the water to rice. After soaking the beans, boil for 20 minutes until soft (though they should still retain some texture). Allow the beans and rice to cool while you mix the dressing ingredients which can be left to infuse while you dice the cucumber, capsicum, chili, onion and avocado into 1 cm pieces. When the rice is cool, fluff with a fork and mix with the beans. Stir through the chopped vegetables, dressing and coriander. Garnish with an extra slice of lime.
Spicy Thai chicken salad (larp gai) with roasted rice powder
Roasted rice powder (or khao khua) is an essential and oft-overlooked ingredient for true Thai salad. The starchiness helps bind the ingredients while also enriching the dish with extra crunch and a toasted flavour. I cook the chicken in coconut milk because I like the richness, but chicken stock is also good.
300 grams skinless chicken thigh
90 ml coconut milk or chicken stock
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2-3 small hot chilies, finely chopped and deseeded (depends on how hot you like it)
4 purple shallots, thinly sliced
2 young snake beans, cut in 2 cm lengths
1 bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Handful of Thai basil, Vietnamese mint and/or Chinese celery
1 tablespoon roasted rice powder
½ cup raw glutinous white rice
Dressing
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoon lime juice (always fresh, never the bottled stuff)
1 teaspoon palm sugar, shaved
Toast the rice in a dry wok or pan on low-medium heat until lightly coloured (about 12 minutes). Uncooked rice will be nasty, and overcooked rice will be bitter so move it around the pan to ensure even cooking. Use a mortar and pestle or a spice mill to grind the roasted rice into a rough powder. It stores well in a sealed container so make a batch and save it for next time.
Chop chicken thighs in a rough mince. In a small pan, poach chicken mince and garlic together in coconut milk (or stock) on medium heat until cooked; a few minutes should be enough. When cool, mix the shallots, snake beans and chili. I like to coat the ingredients with a little coconut milk from cooking the chicken, though this is not standard practice. Thoroughly mix 1 tablespoon of the rice powder through the salad. Add the dressing, and toss until it starts to bind. Mix in the herbs, and serve.
Makes 3-4 small servings.
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