Rice

Plant Oryza sativa, family Gramineae, an annual cereal grass widely cultivated for its seed, used for human food. The name is also used for the grain itself. Rice is the primary food for half the people in the world. it is grown in Asian countries, especially China, India, in parts of the middle east especially Egypt, Russia, South America, and the USA. It is produced mainly in the deltas of rivers, on irrigated or flooded coastal plains. In Asia, dried rice stalks are used to make paper, sandals, hats etc., and to thatch roofs. Fermented rice kernels are sometimes used in making spirits, wine and beer. Of the 20 known species of rice, only two are cultivated. In many regions it is eaten with every meal and provides more calories than any other single food. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), rice supplies an average of 889 calories per day per person in China. In contrast, rice provides an average of only 82 calories per day per person in the United States. Rice is a nutritious food, providing about 90 percent of calories from carbohydrates and as much as 13 percent of calories from protein.