Rice is the most basic and versatile of all long-term storage foods. Its shelf life, at 20 to 30 years, is among the longest of any food, but the cooking time required is among the shortest.

Rice has fueled whole civilizations since ancient times, and today it is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population.

Rice is unique among major food crops in that the plant appreciates being water-logged. Water, channeled to flood the rice paddy, not only irrigates the growing stalks, but also drowns out weeds and deters vermin.