If man cannot live on bread alone, he probably can make it on rice. It is an excellent breakfast cereal, nutritiou soup, a good component of salad for lunch, or a main meal for dinner along with rice wines. Rice pudding can also be a sumptuous dessert.
Worldwide per capita consumption of rice is approaching that for wheat; rice is about 80 kg compared to wheat at ahout 96 kg. The popularity of rice varies among the regions of the world (Figure I and Table I), as do the ways in which it is prepared and used.
“Tung goh shik fun,” meaning “Come eat rice with me,” is the most gracious expression of Chinese hospitality and “Have you eaten your rice?’ is a common Chinese greeting. They don’t “break bread;” they would rather eat rice together. Some Far Eastern fairy tales conclude with the saying, “Their rice bowls overflow ever after.” And in some stories, to upset a bowl of rice accidentally is a sign of misfortune.