Introduction
All current forms of rice in the world stem from one specific type. Oryza rice was first found on the Gondwanaland continent 130 million years ago. From this type of rice, there are two main forms of rice prevalent in cultures around the world, Oryza sativa and Oryza glabberima, spreading through Asia and Africa respectively (Khush). Though these forms of rice originated in the same place they have affected different cultures on different continents since their existence. Due to the large area they have covered, these types of rice have had an impact on various cultures in various ways. We hypothesize the main mode of transportation for spread of rice and its impacts has been the spread of people. As citizens of the different continents moved from place to place they carried rice with them, as it is an important staple to diet and various cultural activities.
In the concept map and throughout the various aspects of this project, we have shown the origin of the rice species with Oryza and the split into two branches of rice that have affected cultures in different but equally important ways. Since the two types of rice spread to different areas of the world, naturally they have different characteristics and also different significances in the separate cultures. These differences can be seen in several aspects on the separate continents including characteristics and cultivation methods.
The first differences can be seen in the characteristics of each type of rice. While the Oryza sativa rice has a light colored coat and a rounder shape, the Oryza glaberimma has a red coat and is more pear shaped (Linares). These differences in characteristics can be accounted for due to the differences in climate and weather on the different continents. The Oryza glabberima is required to be tougher so as to survive through droughts and harsher climates in Africa.
Differences in the rice can also be noted in their cultivation practices. The people of Asia harvest Oryza sativa in wet fields while Oryza glabberima is harvested from dry fields. Also, people in Africa developed special irrigation techniques to aid in the fertilization and growth of Oryza glabberima rice. Though they are harvested in different ways, there is no mistake that growing and harvesting rice requires tough manual labor.
While differences can be seen in the characteristics and cultivation of the two types of rice there are many similarities in the roles they play in separate cultures. In the cultures of Africa and Asia rice is the staple food that is eaten at almost every meal. Also, artifacts have been found on by both continents suggesting cultures had special vessels and pots for rice. This shows rice’s significant role in the various cultures. Finally, rice was often times given up as a gift to the gods, also showing its significance in the culture. Rice proves to be a staple in not only the diet of the different cultures, but also in religious and ritualistic practices as well.
As people traveled across the continents of the world and aided in the spread of rice many aspects of culture changed. These aspects include cultivation methods, religious practices, and even the tools used in everyday life. The main goal of our project is to show this spread and the aspects of rice that vary and those that are similar and their affects on culture throughout time.