Advent Botany 2015 – Day 10: Rice Pudding

By Jana Vamosi and Sarah Walshaw

A pot of dryland rice grown in the Tropical biodiversity glashouse at Reading.

Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice)

Although we have evidence of rice being domesticated by 10,000 years ago in China, and Asian rice being introduced to Iberia by 1,000 years ago, rice pudding was not a Christmas tradition in Denmark until after WWII, when rice became increasingly popular.

African rice was independently domesticated by 3,000 years ago in West Africa and formed an important component of the agriculture along rivers, deltas, and swamplands from Senegal to Nigeria. It is thought that West African rice varieties and cultivation methods were brought by enslaved Africans on the journey to the New World– with some reports of women hiding seeds in clothing or hair!

Rice is a staple year round foodstuff for many people but in the colder parts of Europe a warming winter Rice Pudding cooked with milk (or even with cream) can be a tasty winter dish.  Read much more about about Risalamande, a special Danish rice pudding with cream and almonds and the nisse folk that play an important part in Denmark’s Christmas celebrations in today’s #AdventBotany blog hosted by DIVERSE DIET.

Advent Botany 2015 Day 9, Day 11