The Epic Story of Rice: Gods, Conquests, and a Food Trip Through History

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. - Please consider supporting OTR on Patreon and thanks so much to anyone who does; your support truly keeps us going. Website: Instagram: FB: - 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 - YouTube Credits: