Like White On Rice?
Rice was red until farmers selected mutated white varieties, for good reasons, 10,000 years ago. Steve Mirsky reports.
SUBSCRIBE TO Science Quickly
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
White rice is one of the world’s most popular staple foods. But white rice also shows that humans have been manipulating genes since the dawn of civilization.
White rice evolved from wild red rice 10,000 years ago. And a new study finds that all white rice in the world is derived from two rice subspecies that experienced almost identical mutations. The study appears in the journal Public Library of Science Genetics.
The mutations shorten a protein that ordinarily would lead to color in rice. The researchers think that ancient farmers liked the odd white rice and actively bred and spread it, first across the Himalayan region and then across the rest of the world. Was it the color, or lack thereof, that made the grain more attractive? Maybe not. Because white rice varieties cooked faster—which requires less fuel. Also, insects and diseases were easier to spot on the lighter rice strains. So next time you bring a forkful of white rice to your mouth, remember the thousands of ancient geneticists who today keep you from seeing red.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
