| Key Features | - staple food for over half the world's population, excellent source of carbohydrates for energy, gluten-free, available in diverse varieties (long-grain, medium-grain, short-grain, brown, black, wild), varied textures when cooked (fluffy, sticky, tender, chewy), adaptable to many cuisines and dishes (savory to sweet), requires specific growing conditions (warm, moist, high rainfall/irrigation), can be milled to different degrees (brown rice retains bran, white rice has it removed), contains B vitamins, iron, and magnesium (especially brown rice), significant cultural and economic importance globally
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