The team turned their attention to surface patterns on the phytolith which are shaped like fish scales. Phytoliths in modern rice have more than nine fish-scale decorations. The ancient phytoliths in Shangshan were a mix of different numbers of fish-scale decorations—as they got younger, the proportion with more than nine increased and more like modern rice.
But what exactly do fish-scale decorations and domestication of rice have to do with one another? These phytoliths are in leaf cells, which curl up to hold water when dry.
These microscopic fish-scale patterns tell the story of a rice plant that lived some 10, years ago. The phytoliths add to accumulating evidence that Shangshan is the first place where rice has been cultivated—at least that has been found. Genetic evidence has pointed to one, two, maybe even three domestications over time to explain the different varieties of rice in Southeast Asia.
Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. As far back as B. Beginning in China and the surrounding areas, its cultivation spread throughout Sri Lanka, and India. It was then passed onto Greece and areas of the Mediterranean. Rice spread throughout Southern Europe and to some of North Africa. From Europe rice was brought to the New World.
Rice could be taken to many parts of the world due to its versatility. It is able to grow in the desert conditions of Saudi Arabia, in the wetland deltas of Southeast Asia in the flooded rice plains which we are most familiar with.
Gillian Orr finds out how to cook it perfectly. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Rice is believed to have been eaten for around 12, years, when the Chinese first learnt to cultivate it.
However, it wasn't introduced to Europe until the 10th century, when it began to be grown in Spain and Italy. Today, it is the third most produced crop in the world after maize and wheat and the British get through , tonnes of it each year that's 6. Our consumption of rice has risen about 5 per cent over the last five years, suggesting we can't get enough of the exotic grain. As Britain is unable to grow the crop, lacking the warm and wet tropical climate that is required, we import it from all over the world.
Everyone has their own preference of cooking rice. Some prefer to boil it in the exact amount of water that should be absorbed the absorption method , while others prefer to boil it in a large quantity of water and drain it before serving the rapid boil method.
Soaking the rice might seem like an unnecessary added extra but not only does it decrease cooking time thus saving fuel but it softens the grain, allowing the water to penetrate it more easily and therefore it comes out much less sticky.
Put the grains in a large bowl, cover completely with water and swirl around to remove starch and dirt. Pour rice into a sieve and rinse under the cold tap. Return to a clean bowl and cover with clean water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Rice should be measured by volume, not by weight: using a measuring jug, allow 75 millilitres of rice per person. The quantity of liquid you'll need is double the volume of rice. Bring water to the boil, add the rice and leave the lid on. Take care not to stir the rice while it's cooking. After the water is evaporated, take off the boil and fluff up the rice with a fork.
Many people complain about the time and care it takes to cook rice and have looked to more convenient methods. Rice cookers are popular in Asia and Latin America and can cook rice to perfection while requiring zero supervision. However, because they are rather cumbersome gadgets, they are only really worth it if you eat a lot of rice and have plenty of storage space. Boil-in-the-bag rice is quick and simple and many brands have excellent nutritional value because the rice is cooked in the husk parboiled, which forces nutrients into the grain of the rice.
However, the fastest option is instant rice that has been cooked entirely and then dehydrated.
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