disorganized thread about various grains and why rice is the best

i am in no way discrediting the many contributions of wheat, corn, and whatever the fuck sorghum is, to society. and i definitely mean no legitimate disrespect to farmers of other grains. rice is simply cooler

first of all, rice is the ideal foundation for any meal. better than bread or grits, i will fight u on this. it's versatile, there are over 40k varieties total, and many cuisines rely on it

rice works well as a canvas for other flavors, but can also hold its own at the forefront of a meal! if u haven't eaten rice that tastes good on its own or with minimal additions, u haven't eaten good rice and i'm so sorry that ur living like this

arguably, bread excels in this too - u can eat bread plain or with other foods, and flatbreads especially serve an important purpose in indian cuisine for example. does this mean wheat is on par with rice? no.

rice is in cereal, crackers, noodles, rice paper(!!!), any cake or dumpling that uses rice flour, and various types of alcohol.

wheat is in boring cereal, worse crackers, and pasta that i would ditch in a heartbeat in favor of rice. also sometimes beer which is gross.

wheat flour is used in good desserts though which is the one complicating factor

but ask urself: would i rather eat wheat flour based chocolate cookies for the rest of my life or have access to the full range of rice products? u gonna give up spring rolls, rice noodles, sushi, biryani, and old reheated rice dumped in canned soup when u've had a terrible day??

studies have also shown some correlation between rice and wheat cultivation and culture, specifically community focus vs individualistic focus

allegedly, the process of wheat farming fosters individualistic thinking and self-reliance, while rice farming necessitates interdependence and reliance on the community!

this isn't a strike against either grain, i just think it's cool as hell.

now, corn is a pretty good grain. i love corn, popcorn, grits, corn tortillas, the list goes on. u can even make pasta out of it which i respect

corn has historical and cultural significance, also corn fields are cool to watch on a long drive. but if we're talking about aesthetic, rice paddies win. especially tiered rice paddies! seeing them in person is a transcendent experience

now! rice farming does have negative environmental impacts, but so does all grain agriculture, and frankly i don't want to think abt it bc this thread is for fun and the state of the world baffles and distresses me