Where Is The Rice?

A bowl of Carolina long grain rice, related recipes below

One year my children and I joined some members of our church in making dinner for male residents of a YMCA in their forties and over. Many of them could best be described as brothers, fathers, uncles, and grandfathers estranged from their families for the holidays for various and sundry reasons. We prepared a Christmas ham and several sides including sweet potato casserole, string beans, biscuits, and pineapple. For dessert we served fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. The residents of the Y slowly poured into the make shift dining room in the church’s fellowship hall and started through the buffet line filling their plates. They then sat and enjoyed the food with many raving about how good it all tasted. A short time later, an African American Y resident in his fifties  started through the line filling his plate like the previous men, but stopped half way through the buffet line with a confused look on his face. I asked, what’s the matter? He said with a heavy southern accent, “Where is the rice?” I said you must be from the Carolinas? He said “yup I’m from South Carolina.” The exchange reminded of the centrality of rice in the culinary history of many parts of the Americas where slave traders imported thousands of Africans from the West African rice belt between Cape Verde andthe Gold Coast. I found a similar reaction to Christmas meal in sources on turn of the century Cuba. At a Christmas supper, people of all social classes in Cuba, the Carolinas, and the West Indies would regard but indifferently the sliced ham, boned turkey, or the fish if a huge bowl of rice did not accompany them. So  you don’t forgot the rice this Holiday season I provided some rice stories and recipes below. Please share your related memories in the comment section below, we love to read them!

Rice Pudding: http://www.roadfood.com/Recipes/88/rice-pudding

Vegan Rice Pudding: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2010/03/veggie-might-vegan-rice-pudding-or-what.html

Mushroom Risotto Recipe:http://schnitzelandthetrout.blogspot.com/2010/09/memorable-mushroom-risotto.html

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe: http://veganventures.blogspot.com/2006/08/mushroom-risotto.html

My Rice and Beans/Peas and Rice Series: http://www.foodasalens.com/search?q=Rice+and+Beans%2FPeas+and+Rice+Series