The Epic Story of Rice: From Ancient Kings to American Presidents

If the story of food is the story of people, then the story of rice is the story of food. From the first agricultural “big bang” to the present day, following the path of this simple grass leads to the founding of cities, the construction of empires and the creation of the dishes that would become culinary icons. And it also leads to myths and legends, wars and rebellions and even musical battles. Every culture that cultivates rice has its own origin story, so today our mission is to find the truth, trace its spread and learn the roots of some of history’s greatest dishes- and try them, too.

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0:00 – Introduction
1:18 – The World’s Most Important Plant
4:56 – The Breakthrough
6:58 – India and China
10:32 – The First Rice Recipe
13:37 – Kheer, Sushi, and Rice Noodles
15:08 – Hanom Cin
16:56 – Mohinga
18:45 – Origin Myths
22:47 – Rice at the Market
25:08 – Cooking with Rice
29:12 – Rice Moves West
32:16 – The National Dish of Jordan
35:42 – The Other Breakthrough
40:44 – Making Fufu
43:37 – Nigerian Lunch
45:52 – Across the Atlantic
49:05 – Thomas Jefferson’s Obsession
53:29 – Jambalaya and Gumbo
55:57 – The Vietnam War
57:51 – Conclusion
59:43 – Credits and Post-Credits