Rice

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Rice has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Stuff You Should Know (Nov 2025). Primary subject of the episode; the hosts discuss rice's biology, varieties, cultivation, environmental impacts, nutrition, toxins, and culinary uses.

Rice is a cereal grain and, in its domesticated form, is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Africa and Asia. Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa —or, less commonly, Oryza glaberrima. Asian rice was domesticated in China some 13,500 to 8,200 years ago; African rice was domesticated independently in West Africa about 3,000 years ago. Rice has become commonplace in many cultures worldwide; in 2023, 800 million tons were produced, placing it third