Rice

Rice is a cereal grass cultivated for its edible grains, which provide a staple food for much of the world. Its domestication and farming have shaped diets, landscapes, and societies.

Oryza sativa: The Asian rice species cultivated worldwide in thousands of varieties. It is the principal domesticated species behind most rice eaten globally.
Paddy field: A flooded or water-managed field used to grow rice. Standing water suppresses weeds and suits many rice varieties, though it is not essential for all rice.
Yangtze River: The longest river in Asia, flowing east across China to the East China Sea. Archaeological evidence links early rice cultivation to communities in the Yangtze basin.
Brown rice: Rice with its bran layer and germ retained after the inedible husk is removed. It preserves grain layers discarded when rice is milled into white rice.
Rice cultivation in Southeast Asia: The diverse farming systems used to grow rice across Southeast Asia. Rice farming has shaped regional settlement patterns, landscapes, and livelihoods.
Oryza glaberrima: An African rice species domesticated in West Africa and cultivated mainly in that region. It is a distinct domesticated species with a separate history from Asian rice.
Rice domestication: The evolutionary and cultural process by which wild rice became a cultivated crop. Domestication changed traits such as seed retention and synchronized grain maturation.
Pearl River: A major river system in southern China that flows into the South China Sea. The region’s early rice remains inform debates about the crop’s domestication.
White rice: Milled rice with its bran and germ removed, leaving mostly starchy endosperm. It is a widely consumed form with a longer shelf life than brown rice.
Terraced field: A sloped landscape reshaped into level steps for cultivation. Terraces allow rice production on steep terrain while managing water and soil.

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