No one can lay claim solely for discovering or developing rice as food source or as an ingredient for many preparations for food and its other uses. Rice has existed since ancient times in many countries.According to published reports, rice has been used and consumed by man as early as 4,000 years ago or even older. Archeologists have discovered grains of rice buried deep on the ground in certain places in China. When the rice grains were subjected to studies, they were found to be more than 4,000 years old.
Studies also indicate that rice originated in several places in a broad area that covered Northern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam up to China.
In the Philippines, rice cultivation started thousands of years ago. In fact, the rice terraces in Banaue which were built some 3,000 years ago, were constructed by the people specifically for the cultivation of rice.
Of course, the rice that we know today may not be the same rice that was known to the early people of the world. But just the same, then as it is now, rice played an important role in human history. There is no indication that rice will be less important in the lives and culture of people who depend on them in the future.
