China is the top rice-producing country in the world; it accounts for more than 144 million metric tons of the grain annually or 28% of the global output. The per-capita consumption of rice there is estimated to be a whopping 220 pounds per year, compared to 27 pounds for the average American and 100 pounds for Kama’aina (the most in the United States).
The Cantonese word “fan” means “meal” as well as “rice,” underscoring its importance. Here are three other tidbits that reveal the cultural and historical significance of rice to the Chinese people.
Nian Gao
Nian gao (gau), a steamed or baked Chinese New Year treat, is made of three basic ingredients — glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and water. Nian means “year,” and gao means “cake.” A homonym for gao is defined as “tall” or “high.” Thus, there’s a metaphorical association: Eating nian gao comes with the hope of personal growth, career promotions and financial success in the new year. Another translation for nian is “sticky;” the cake’s gummy texture and round shape symbolize familial harmony and unity.
One tradition related to nian gao concerns the Kitchen God, who watches over every Chinese household. At the end of every year, it is his duty to review each family’s conduct and report to the Jade Emperor, ruler of Heaven. Before New Year’s Day, families place nian gao on their home altars, next to images of the Kitchen God. They believe that when he eats that sticky, sugary offering, he will say only sweet things about them or his lips will be sealed, preventing him from divulging anything negative.
Rice-Fish Farming
Rice-fish farming is not unique to China, but scholars believe that’s where it began some 1,700 years ago to optimize land use by cultivating two types of food at the same time.
This sustainable, symbiotic ecological practice yields numerous benefits. The movement of fish through flooded fields increases the water’s oxygen level. Fish excrement adds nutrients to the soil, so fertilizer is not necessary (in particular nitrogen-based products, which release greenhouse gases). In return, rice fields provide fish with a cool, shady environment; protection from predatory birds; and plenty of food, including weeds, worms, plankton, insects and decaying leaves. This diet not only keeps the fish well fed, it reduces the risk of disease and the need for pesticides and herbicides.
About 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) are being used for rice-fish farming in China, primarily in mountainous southeastern and southwestern regions, which are far from coastal fishing areas and have few bodies of water suitable for conventional aquaculture. Because of the steep terrain, rice can be grown only in small terraces, resulting in limited harvests. Concurrently farming fish in those terraces generates additional income.
The Great Wall of China
Hailed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China spans 13,170 miles across the country’s northern border; that’s more than half of the 24,901-mile circumference of the equator. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as “an outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China.” And literally holding a large part of it together is rice.
Construction on the wall began around 220 BC by order of Qin Shi Huang, who unified seven warring kingdoms to establish the Qin dynasty and become the first emperor of China. His vision was to connect previous bulwarks and build new sections to create a massive barrier winding over plains, deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus to stave off invasions from the north. Work on the wall — which also includes barracks, bastions and watchtowers — continued until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
The most extensive and best-preserved segment of the wall — stretching 5,500 miles in Badaling, 43 miles northwest of Beijing — was erected during the Ming empire. This is the section that’s seen and photographed by more than 10 million visitors annually.
It has stood the test of time thanks to a mortar of glutinous rice paste and calcium hydroxide powder, which scientists call one of the greatest innovations of that period. Amylopectin, a type of complex carbohydrate that makes glutinous rice sticky, made the ancient mortar as strong, durable and water-resistant as concrete. This adhesive’s seal has remained so tight over 500-plus years, weeds reputedly have not grown between the Great Wall’s bricks and stone blocks.
The Hawai‘i Book of Rice Volume Two ($22.95, hardcover and spiral-bound) is available at bookstores and other retail outlets throughout the islands. It can also be purchased on amazon.com and Watermark Publishing’s website, bookshawaii.net. Watermark provides free shipping to all Hawai‘i addresses and to the mainland US for orders over $50. For more information, peruse bookshawaii.net or call 808-587-7766 or toll-free 866-900-BOOK from the neighbor islands.
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