When you think of rice, Delaware probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But USA Rice, the U.S. rice industry’s national trade association hopes to change that this week.
Rice is a staple for most of the world’s population, and very popular in the U.S.
But USA Rice vice president of domestic promotion Michael Klein says there’s a big misconception about the rice Americans eat, “A lot of people don’t realize that rice is grown in the U.S. and itis actually. The vast majority of the rice that we eat here in the United States is actually grown here. Most people assume that it’s imported from Asia and it’s not.”
So Klein says his group is dispatching its “Think Rice” truck to educate people, and it kicks off its Second Ride with Rice Road Trip Thursday in Delaware, “So in an attempt to kind of make people aware of the fact that rice is grown here in the U.S. and you can buy local, and most times you are - actually whether you realize it or not - we got this truck and we decorated it with some nice food images.”
Klein says the “Think Rice” truck’s trip last year started in the heart of rice country - Crowley, Louisiana, “And the reality is - rice is really one of the most popular foods. And it’s really a staple in almost every culture, whether it’s Asian food, or Afro-Caribbean food, or African or Latino - ya know - rice is just found in every culture. And so, as a staple for the world’s population, two-thirds of all the calories eaten in the world come from rice - why not start in Delaware this time?”
The “Think Rice” truck is at the Wilmington’s Westside Farmers Market Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. The first 60 people to visit get a new rice cooker and rice recipes.
The truck stops at the Glasgow Farmers Market Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. and the Milford Farmers Market Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. It visits the Southern Delaware Wine and Music Festival in Millsboro Saturday from noon to 4.
