Rice is the primary staple in the diets of over 50% of the globe’s population (Childs, 2012) with over two and a half billion mouths depending on the grain as their primary source of calories (Harriss-White, 2005). Rice is second only to wheat in terms of area harvested and is the most important grain in terms of calorie consumption (Khan & Rashid, 1986). Asia and Africa host the largest rates of consumption worldwide. For centuries developing nations have been dependent on rice’s high caloric value and agricultural versatility. In Northeastern Asia rice consumption has been declining, but numbers continue to grow in the developing regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa (Childs, 2012). Globally, rice contributes to 1/5 of the total calories consumed by humans. Calories from rice are particularly essential in Asian cultures (Khan & Rashid, 1986).
For decades rice production has expanded more rapidly than the global population, doubling between 1961 and 2001 (Harriss-White, 2005). The grain is grown in 112 countries world-wide and is a fundamental crop in the global commodity market (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2004). Given its global presence and relatively cheap production costs, rice has come to flourish in a wide spectrum of cultural contexts.
Although rice is grown in 112 countries worldwide, nearly 95% of the crop is grown and consumed in Asia. In Southeast Asia, rice provides 60% of the total food intake. The highest per capita rice consumption occurs in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. This focus of rice in Asian cultures is not surprising given that the historic origins of the plant trace back to the continent (Kiple & Ornelas, 2000). In all of the scriptures of the ancient ci...
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Depending on the location of rice, the socioeconomic perception of its consumption can vary. In Asia, for instance, rice is consumed universally by both the rich and the poor. Due to this unilateral consumption, it does not have such a significant class connotation. Its consumption, however, varies drastically in significance depending on economic status. Where the more wealthy individuals enjoy rice as a dietary preference, 70% of Asia’s poor depend on rice as lifeline for survival (Gulati & Narayanan, 2003).
Rice’s importance to the poor is not nearly as relevant in the United States where the lower class has a much different diet. In modern society, the U.S. poor do not rely nearly as heavily on rice. Instead, their primary starch is the potato. This is not surprising given the fast-food diets of lower income Americans (Roeder, 2012).
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Whenever I was asked if I was having rice for lunch today, I felt a sense of a macroaggression in that question. However, I understood that it was not meant to be insulting but was a common stereotype among Asian Americans. This stereotype assumes that we always eat this source of refined carbohydrates because it is commonly seen among most of our meals. However, what society seems to disregard is that our meals are more varied than just having rice each time. In fact, many Asian American dishes can range from complex soups and intricate side dishes composed of fermented beans, steamed fish, pickled cabbages, and more. By regarding these different sides to our diet, society cannot assume that the Asian American diet is completely “consumed” by rice. Rice does serve as a basis of the diet, but is not the larger component of every meal nor is it present each time. I do agree that rice is inherently part of our culture, which makes this stereotype partly true, but it cannot be fixed into all aspects of our
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MacLennan R, Zhang A. “Cuisine: the concept and its health and nutrition implications-global.”Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr. 13.2(2004):131-135. Print.
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Pingali, P., 2004. Westernization of Asian Diets and the transformation of food systems:Implications for research and policy , s.l.: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations .
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Krishnaraj, Maithreyi. 2006. “Food Security, Agrarian Crisis and Rural Livelihoods.” Economic and Political Weekly 41 (52): 5376-5388.