For more than half of humanity, rice is life. It is the grain that has shaped the history, culture, diet, and economy of billions of people of Asia. Many of them sleep on rice straw, drink rice liquor and offer rice to their gods.
The growth stage of the rice crop marks the passage of time and season. In the languages of China, Japan and many others, the day begins with "morning rice" and ends with "evening rice". In this part of the world, rice is not just a cereal; it is the root of civilisation.
