Rice

Rice is in a large family of grasses called Poaceae which includes several grains including common ones like wheat, corn, and millet. Within the category of rice you’ll find there are three main types of rice that are cultivated around the world, and they have three different origins.

The most widely known type of rice is Oryza sativa, which has origins in East and Southeast Asia (China, India, and Thailand) and has been cultivated for at least 9,000 years. The lesser known variety of rice is Oryza glaberrima which originated in West Africa (Mali, Senegal, Gambia, etc.) and has been cultivated for about 5,000 years. Another variety of rice that is typically called wild rice is Zizania, which has a variety (Zizania palustris) that has origins in the upper, midwestern region of the Americas. You can learn more in our rice profile!