Rice is grown in every continent of the world except Antarctica and each country has developed its own recipes using it e.g. Paellas in Spain, Risotto in Italy, the fiery Cajun and Creole dishes from the US and the precisely prepared delicacies of Japan.

Rice is very versatile. It can be served as an accompaniment to a meal, be the basis of a main dish, or served in soups and starters and as a pudding.

Many countries start the day with a rice breakfast such as congee in China and rice porridge in Japan. In fact, one of the most popular forms of rice is eaten as breakfast cereals which combined with milk provide a nutritious start to the day - protein, fibre, carbohydrates are enriched with vitamins and minerals.