One grain to rule them all: the history of rice as a global food

Matheus Bertelli/Pexels Rice is the most popular food in the world, providing sustenance to more than 3.5 billion people each day. Rice is deeply embedded in food, daily rituals, language and spirituality. It is easy to take it for granted. But where did rice come from? And how did it spread to become the foundation of global food security? Early origins in China and India In the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, Oryza sativa rice grew 100,000 years ago. It was first gathered by…