Cereal grains continue to be an integral part of our day-to-day lives.

Maize, wheat, rice and oats are one

of the most harvested crops worldwide and provide most of our daily caloric needs with rice alone
contributing up to 70% of the total amount of calories consumed in Asia. Aside from being an important
dietary component, grains such as corn and sugarcane have also found use as possible sources of fuels,
textile materials and other plant-derived chemicals. Because of their long history as food since antiquity,
several cultures have recognized their importance with several societies having deities dedicated to
harvests such as Demeter, the Roman goddess of the grain and agriculture. Rice, in particular, is a very
common cereal grain that is deeply entwined with Asian culture and identity.

The origin of the relationship between man and rice is still widely debated, however the oldest evidence
of rice use were silicon microfossils of rice dated to around 11000-12000 BC, found in Southern China near
the Yangzi River valley. While not native to China in the strictest sense as Oryza sativa (Asian rice) originally
came from India, it became an important staple and eventually it would spread to the north, towards
northern and central China and to the south, towards Taiwan and South East Asia.

The domestication of this vital crop was crucial not just for Asia but also in the Americas and Africa.
Domesticated rice was derived from wild rice which had lower yields and easily shattered grains for
dispersal. Its domestication along with other crops greatly helped in the formation of larger settlements
which in turn could hold more people. The food security provided by these crops allowed the utilization
of resources into other efforts aside from survival leading to the introduction of new societal roles and a
specialization in skills. With this in mind, humans were now free to further develop their culture, which
incorporated several elements of their shared experiences as a people and their immediate environment.
In the case of Asia, where the monsoon rains and fertile soil are ideal for growing root crops and rice, it is
no surprise that these are featured prominently in Asian culture.

Rice is primarily used as food where it exists in various forms across several different cuisines. Rice can be
served plain as in steamed rice or it can be served as rice cakes such as mochi from Japan, puto and suman
in the Philippines and Lontong in Indonesia and Malaysia. In addition to this, rice can be fermented as
seen in sushi and various rice wines or rice vinegars and it can be incorporated in dishes such as paella,
arroz caldo and risotto. Rice also serves a ceremonial purpose where it is used in events such as weddings
or as offerings for gods. In fact, personifications of rice exist in various Asian countries such as in Indonesia,
where Dewi Sri is a rice goddess venerated by the Javanese and Balinese people. Rice is so pervasive in
Asian cultures that in several languages, such as Filipino, several words refer to rice in various stages of
production: palay (the unmilled grains), bigas (milled rice), kanin (cooked rice), bahaw (leftover rice) and
sinangag (fried rice typically derived from leftover rice). Innovations in agriculture such as terracing and
flood irrigation were extensively used to accommodate the increasing dependence on crops such as rice.

A consequence of the domestication of rice in Asia as well as its use as a major crop is the fact that it is
now representative of Asian identity. Given the lengthy time of contact, it is easy to see how rice has
seeped into every aspect of our culture such as the language, cuisine and religion. The discovery of a
constant food source was not the only benefit gained from the domestication of plants. The presence of
various practices and cultures today that incorporate and center upon this humble crop is a testament to
the long-lasting effects of a Neolithic technology even in a world that has sufficiently advanced from that
era.
References:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444305135.ch6

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160502001873

https://www.nature.com/articles/514S58a