Wild rice

"WILD RICE Wild rice, the seed of a special grass that is of a different species than , was formerly gathered uniquely by . Now that it is also being cultivated by growers in various parts of the country, it is more easily available, though never cheap. The pronounced flavor and pleasantly chewy texture of wild rice make it a welcome accompaniment to meats with personality, such as pork, duck, goose, and game, although it also has its role as a contrast to the milder flavors of chicken and s."

"Cultivated Northern Wild Rice (NWR; ' ) is a high-value, small commodity crop grown in irrigated paddies, primarily in Minnesota and California. of the species began ∼60 years ago as demand for the nutritional grain outpaced hand-harvesting efforts from lakes and rivers in the region of the United States and Canada. Cultivated NWR cultivars are open-pollinated and highly heterogeneous and have primarily been bred for seed retention, yield, and seed size. As a lowland crop, NWR's life cycle, particularly its unique seed physiology, poses challenges to breeding efforts, limiting selection cycles per year, and requiring annual grow-outs of all germplasm. Recent efforts have increased the genomic resources available to NWR researchers, including a reference genome assembly and methodology optimization for genotyping-by-sequencing technologies. The species’ close phylogenetic relationship with white rice (') also provides a unique opportunity to utilize comparative genomic approaches to identify genes conferring agronomic traits of interest in NWR, particularly domestication traits such as seed retention. Z. palustris is an enigmatic species with regional ecological, cultural, and agricultural significance in the Great Lakes."

"The only seasonings that the and other rice gatherers traditionally used with wild rice were , berries, and animal fat—any or all of which might be added during cooking. ... Precontact Indian people had their own way of cooking: deer tallow mixed with bear grease was an effective shortening, and ashes were used in place of for baking bread. The absence of salt, a comparatively recent introduction, was often remarked upon in early sources; for example, an explorer at in 1857 found rice cooked with a welcome relief from foods seasoned with salt. Minnesota Ojibway began to acquire a taste for salt only in the mid-nineteenth century."

"Wild rice (' spp.), an important aquatic cereal grain in North America and East Asia, has attracted interest worldwide because of its antioxidant activities and health-promoting effects. Wild rice is high in protein, minerals, and vitamins but is low in fat. The phytochemical content (s, , , s, and s) of wild rice warrants its development as a functional food. Phenolic acids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals from Zizania plants have pronounced antioxidant properties, which are associated with prevention of chronic diseases. The health-promoting effects of Zizania plants include alleviation of and lipotoxicity, prevention, and anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-hypertensive, and immunomodulatory effects."