GOAN CULTURE: In response to several requests to transmit this message to other Goan websites, or other Goans please feel free to do so! Those who suggest transmitting this in the native language are welcome to translate this into Konkani. Please use our name and e-mail address so that we can receive direct feedback from the readers; which is welcome!
Those NOT interested in Goan History or Culture: And Those who know it all! Please feel free to hit the DEL button NOW. I invite Goans to review what they read, add their own views and use the information to start a dialogue with their family as a Sunday talk or a mid-week dinner-conversation. Or it could be a topic for conversation of a Goan club meeting. Hopefully this will stimulate among all of us, including our families, a discussion on the language of Goan culture. It will also help us review some of our own personal experiences and the practices of other native communities. RICE One of three dietary items identified with Goans in rice. Most Goans on the net are city-slickers. Those that are not city slickers are likely to be 'empregados'. However there are likely to be professional farmers and students devoted to various branches of agricultural sciences - growing and exciting fields; to which Goans should encourage their youth to specialize in. It would help as part of our culture for us to know the basics of Rice- our staple diet. This evaluation will be done in four parts: 1. General information of rice. 2. Ecosystems for rice growth. 3. Botany and technology of rice growth. 4. Nutritional value of rice. Rice (part 1) Abstracted from the book Amchi Khobor - Our News - Inside Goa By Philomena Lawrence and Gilbert Lawrence Rice is an integral part of the Goan and Indian economy and diet; just as it was a vital element for the earliest Indian civilizations. Rice was unheard of in Middle Eastern civilizations, either in Sumerian, Egyptian or later societies like the Jewish people. Soldiers of Alexander the Great brought rice to the Middle East and Europe in 330 BCE on their return from India. The cultivation of rice in India began as early as 6000 BCE, making rice the oldest crop. More recent evidence suggests it was first grown in Thailand in about 10,000 BCE. Rice continues to be a dietary staple for almost half the world's population, especially in India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Rice in Goa is called paddy! There are about 7,000 varieties of rice. But it comes in three basic types: long, medium, or short-grain. Long-grain rice (most familiar type) is four to five times longer than it is wide. It includes aromatic rice like the fragrant basmati and jasmine varieties. When cooked, it is fluffy and somewhat dry. Medium-grain rice is shorter and has fatter grains of medium starch content, yielding a slightly dense end-product suitable for daily use. Short-grain rice (pearl or glutinous) is plump, almost round with high starch content. When cooked, it is moist and sticky. Because it is easier to handle with chopsticks, it is preferred in the Orient. Common varieties of edible rice: Arborio Christmas Jasmine Aromatic Glutinous Texmati Basmati Pearl Wehani In Asia, rice is the leading crop, the staple food, and linked to religious legends. It is said that Lord Vishnu caused the earth to give birth to rice, and God Indra taught the people how to cultivate it. In these myths, rice is a gift of the gods and hence treated with reverence. The natives celebrate its cultivation (sowing and reaping) with ornate rituals. Similar religious associations exist in Indian and Asian cultures making rice the foremost offering at religious ceremonies, including marriage rituals. Rice is a staple crop serving both the needs of its people and forming the backbone of its agricultural economy. There are two rice / paddy seasons. The monsoon crop is called kharif or sorod crop, is planted in June and harvested in November. The winter crop is called rabi or vaingan and grown in the dry season - sowed in October and reaped in February. Rabi crop is irrigated by reservoirs and ponds. Rice cultivation all over the world is done by transplanting seedlings in diked fields. The soil alternates between flooded (5-10 cm or 3-4 inches of water) and non-flooded stages, depending on the rainfall. Regards, Philomena and Gilbert Lawrence PS: Have you looked at the World Goa Day (WGD) and the Goenkar.com webpage? It is stimulating and their theme song is very thrilling. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
