China as the Biggest Exporter of Rice in the World - Essay Example

Growing like Rice Commonly characterized by tiny grains that are white in color, it forms the most common food in China. Most, if not all, Chinese have tasted it as it is the staple food in China. That makes it quite easy for one to make a guess, and most will be right to conclude that the description is that of rice. I come from the Northeast part of China, the most agricultural part of China. My hometown has a reputation for the production of excellent rice. Rice is the major cash crop in the region, and a lot of it finds its way into the export market. That makes China the biggest exporter of rice in the world. Rice thrives in strong monsoon and continental climate. In approximation, about 26.1% of China falls under the subtropical region where rice grows well. Given the strong Monsoon and continental climate China experiences, it provides the most favorable conditions for the growth of rice (Braddbrook 11). I still remember my earlier experiences with rice. One such was a freezing winter when our small town experienced a snowstorm. Luckily the snowstorm did not stay for long as it subsided after about a week. Everything was all white with the snow providing a thick white blanket. My grandparents decided to take me out to play with the snow and snowballs, and to make a snowman in the paddy field. The sight of the lovely rice plants covered in a coat of snow filled me with awe. The sight was so perplexing to me that I found myself unable to move. Seeing the expression of wonder on my face, my grandmother walked to me and said, “This is what you eat every day. It is growing rice.” I was surprised and could not imagine any relation between those plants and the rice that I so often enjoyed. My grandmother told me that during winter, the farmers always celebrated the snow. They believed that the white snow was like an angel to the rice. I tried to patting the snow away from the plants, but she stopped me with a sweet smile and said, “Rice sleeps beneath the snow. Don’t disturb it.” Deep inside, I still wondered how such plants produced rice. Up to today, I have never understood the origin of all those beliefs. On our way home, my grandfather explained to me the whole process of how farmers harvest paddy and make rice. The whole process was quite complicated for me to understand at the time. However, I remember them saying how rice sleeps beneath snow in winter. I also have not forgotten the experiences I had and the great time I spent with my grandparents in the field. As for many local families, my family’s staple food is rice. According to me, though with a little bias, my mother is the best cook. For about 15 years, she prepared different types of congee for my breakfast. Congee is a meal made from rice with a few other ingredients. She would mix rice and different kinds of beans or grain to make the congee. Regardless of the mood, my day always started with delicious congee. Nowadays, I keep trying to cook congee for my breakfast. However, I have continuously failed to achieve the same taste my mother always did. Apart from congee, there are many ways to cook rice. One of my favorite snacks is rice popcorn. It is similar to regular popcorn but made of rice. When I was a child, my father would buy me a huge bag of rice popcorn to reward me. The big “peng-peng” sound made when making the popcorn was always a delight to me. The sound meant I could have rice popcorn to share with my friends. I had rice popcorn throughout my childhood. When I revisit the days of my childhood, I see myself enjoying my snack rice popcorn almost every afternoon. For my family, rice was part of our celebrations. When we celebrated Spring Festival, my grandparents would cook a fancy dinner. Rice cake and rice ball formed the most important part of our dinner, and they had a meaning to us. Rice cake symbolized family harmony and intimacy because of its sticky texture. Rice ball represented the reunion of the family due to its shape. I still remember the last Spring Festival I spent with my family. It was one brilliant and exciting experience. The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is usually around February. Unfortunately, in America only the winter break is during Christmas. Since I had not celebrated this festival with my family for five years, last year, I gapped spring term to spend the Spring Festival at home. On the day of spring festival, my grandmother and parents were busy decorating the house and cooking dinner. I was with my grandfather, watching him make rice cake and rice ball as I tried to learn. He is superb at making the traditional foods. While steaming rice, he asked about my life in America. Though he is a silent man, he asked a lot of questions that afternoon. Talking about school life and friends, I saw a big smile spread across his face, evidence of how happy he felt. I knew he loved me so much. It took us four hours to cook all the rice cake and rice ball. In other words, we kept talking for four hours. But both of us did not realize that until my grandmother told us. In the evening, my aunts and uncles came to dinner. Eleven family members spent a fantastic time during that night. As a metaphor, one could liken home to a particular thing, feeling or sense that makes you remember home or have that homely feeling. Especially when people are residing away from home for reasons such as work or study, and they miss home, they relate good things and experiences to their home thus creating that warm and sweet feel of home. That feeling or experience is unique. For me, every time I have rice in America, I have the feeling of my home. Rice reminds me of my family’s love for me. Just like the growth of paddy, I was protected by my family. When paddy was mature, I left home. Now, as I write about the time at home and my favorite food, I find myself missing home so much. Works Cited Bradbrook, Julian. Rice Farming Complete With Methods to Increase Rice Crop Yield. Seattle: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012. Read More