Rice is one of the most produced foods in the world – in fact, it comes in second place, right behind maize. And because maize is mostly grown for non-food purposes, rice actually feeds more people than any other food. It's the main staple for 3 billion people in 17 Asian, 9 American and 8 African countries.

Although rice is used in dishes all over the world – from Italian risotto, to English rice pudding, to Spanish paella – it's most often associated with Asian food. It's the perfect complement to a rich Indian or light Thai curry; it's crunchy and golden in fried rice dishes, and cold and sticky in sushi. It's such a versatile ingredient, no wonder that to half the world it’s the most important part of their diet.

The story of rice.

Rice was one of the earliest foods grown by humans. There's evidence that cultivation began in China an astonishing 12,000 years ago. It's believed that rice migrated to the Americas in 1694 as the slave trade saw more people moving around the globe. A hardy grain, rice can grow in almost any type of soil and environment, which is why it's now grown on every continent (except Antarctica, of course).

In Asia, rice is usually grown in terraced paddy fields filled with water. The grain is harvested once a year, often arduously by hand, although mechanical harvesters are becoming more common. Once harvested, the rice is threshed and dried. It can then be milled to remove the outer husk and sold as white rice, or left in hulled form as brown.

Despite being a staple, rice is actually quite inefficient to produce. Planting seedlings and harvesting is extremely hard work, and production uses vast amounts of water. In fact, it takes up to 2500 litres of water to produce a single kilo of rice.

But, because rice has four times the food energy of potatoes or pasta, it's an incredibly valuable crop. One rice seed (or head) yields over 3000 grains, making it the highest yielding cereal crop in the world.

There's more to rice than white.

Long grain white rice is probably the most commonly used – but rice goes way beyond that basic type. There are a mind-blowing 40,000 varieties of rice grown around the world. Of course, most aren't cultivated or eaten. Only about 100 varieties are grown worldwide, and only a few dozen are sold.

There are three basic types of rice grain: short, medium and long.

Long grain rice, which is used in most Asian cuisine, is light and fluffy, with neutral flavour – which is why it's so widely used. Basmati is also a long grain rice, but it has a uniquely fragrant flavour profile and is used most often with Indian food. Similarly, Jasmine rice is a sweet, fragrant long grain rice.

Medium grain rice is slightly fatter and starchier than long grain, so it's often used for dishes like paella that require a bit of creaminess.

Short grain rice – like the Italian Arborio – is almost round in shape, and contains yet more starch. It's used in dishes like sushi and risotto because it's stickier and tends to clump together when cooked.

Then there's brown rice, which is not really a different variety, it's simply less processed than white, as the bran part of the grain is left intact.

The more exotic varieties, like black rice, wild rice, Himalayan red rice and Thai purple rice might be seen on the odd menu, but you won't find them in your average supermarket.

Jasmine – the Queen of rice.

In a world overflowing with types of rice, Jasmine is one of the most popular. Grown in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, this variety of rice is also known as Thai hom mali – or Thai fragrant rice, which gives you a clue about why it’s so popular.

Jasmine rice is long grain, with a sweet, subtle fragrance, which some liken to the scent of jasmine flowers. Like all long-grain rices, it's drier than short-grained varieties. But compared with other long-grains like Basmati, Jasmine is comparatively sticky.

Jasmine is sold as white rice – which has been processed to remove the husk – and brown, which has the hull left on. Both are soft and moist when cooked, with a slightly sweet flavour.

The nutritional value of Jasmine

Jasmine rice – particularly brown Jasmine – is high in fibre, which is important for digestive health, and for reducing cholesterol. Like all rice, it doesn't contain any fats, cholesterol, or sodium. This makes it a good diet staple for people with high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Brown Jasmine rice also contains essential nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin B, niacin and iron. Because white rice has the husk, where most of the nutritional value is stored, stripped away, it contains far less of all these nutrients.

A cup of Jasmine rice contains 44.5 grams of carbohydrates and it’s on the higher end of the glycaemic index: 68 – 80. This means Jasmine rice will give you a boost of energy after your delicious meal. For this reason, sports people often choose high-carbohydrate foods like Jasmine rice before and after workouts.

How to eat Jasmine rice

Jasmine rice is so sweet and fragrant that it's often cooked very simply as an accompaniment to a main dish. Steamed, it's the perfect complement to stir-fries, light curries, with grilled or fried meats and fish, and even in soups. It doesn't do so well in dishes like fried rice – it's too soft and moist.

Like all rice, Jasmine needs to be washed thoroughly before cooking. This removes any dust left over from the production process and rinses off the excess starch as well. This is important even for rice that’s been washed and will prevent it from being gluggy when cooked.

People all over Asia use a rice cooker, which produces no-fuss perfect rice every time (and keeps it warm). It’s by far the simplest and most reliable way to cook rice, but there are methods that don’t require special equipment.

Steaming, confusingly, can refer to rice that has been steamed, boiled, or a combination of the two.

Here’s one ‘steamed rice’ method you might like to try.

• Bring a pot of water to the boil
• Add 2 cups of rice to the water
• Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes
• Drain then serve

The absorption method means slowly cooking rice in a measure of water until it's completely absorbed. Here’s a recipe for cooking Jasmine rice using the absorption method:

• Rinse 2 cups of rice and tip into a pot with a tight lid
• Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil with the lid off
• When craters appear in the rice surface reduce heat to low and cover
• When all water has been absorbed, remove from heat and leave to stand for two minutes before serving.

Most people prefer one method or the other, but as long as your rice tastes great in the end, it doesn't really matter how you do it.

Five fascinating rice facts.

1: Rice is a symbol of life and fertility, which is why it's traditional to throw it over the heads of brides and grooms.

2: Asia produces and consumes 90% of the world's rice.

3: One kilogram of long grain rice contains over 60,000 grains.

4: In India, rice is traditionally the first food a bride offers to her new husband.

5: More than 1 billion people worldwide are employed in rice production.

Ready to get cooking? Check out our great range of brown and white rice from Golden Phoenix here.