Rice is the second highest worldwide production after maize (corn). Since maize is mostly grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain for human consumption.

There are more than 40,000 varieties of rice that grow on every continent except on Antarctica.

Some research shows that rice may have been indigenous to India over 4,000 years ago and moved eastward to Indochina and to Southeast Asia.

In Burma, a person consumes about five-hundred pounds of rice a year.

In the USA, a person consumes about twenty pounds of rice a year, with about four pounds attributed to the use of rice is for brewing American beers.

There is enough rice that grows in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri to rank the USA as the twentieth largest rice producer in the world and the second largest exported of rice. About half of all the rice grown in the USA is exported.

Thailand is the first exporter of rice.

Rice is a symbol of life and fertility, which is why rice was traditionally throw at weddings.

After rice has been fully cooked, each grain of rice swells to three times in original weight.

Japanese people believe it is important to not waste rice, so it you leave rice in your bowl it is considered to be rude.

Rice hulls can be burned to provide energy.
Medium and short grain rice contains amylopectin which is the waxy starch responsible for making the sticky rice.