The Washington times., 1920-12-03
Eat Rice
It's Cheap and Good.

Whatever their other differences, there is one
thing upon which all Europeans agree when
they cross the to visit the United states
with irritating regularity they conclude that
Americans are the most wasteful people In the
world
The latest charge is based on the observa-
tion Of a prominent visitor from Continental Eu-
rope who at home is accustomed to rice as an
everyday food Missing rice on the tables or
his American hosts and in our hotels. he took
pains to learn that the per capita consumption
of rice in the United States is only three pounds
year.
In France. we are eating an average OF thirty:
five pounds OF rice every year. In Italy and
Spain, rice is delicious necessity. every man,
woman and child eating around 1o5 pounds of it
a year ! believe the English consume some
thing like twenty-seven pounds apiece yearly.
at is wasteful crime for you Americans to
neglect a food that is so plentiful, so delicious
nourishinE and economical"
Surely Europeans are as fastidous about their
food Our chefs count 1t discovery
when they successfully initiate foreign dishes.
Our menu cards further reflect our dependence
upon foreign culinary creations.
The rate at which Europeans eat rice-and
enjoy it---proves the charge OF American neglect.
Growing from 1900 600 TO 100000 barrels OF
rice In this country this year, Americas 10000
600 people will not absorb II unless they increase
the per capita consumption from three pounds.
If previous practice is followed large quantities
OF this Amcrican-grown rice will go abroad to
delight foreign pslates and pocketbooks. At
home here. will continue to fret about the
high cost OF living. allowing n vast store OF the
worlds second largest crop to slip through our
hands.
Rice is a cheap food Measured in units Of
nutritive value. 1t is Of the cheapest OF foods
Its content OF latent energy Is surpassed only by
four other solid foods, butter. cheese, oatmeal
and fat pork. 1t digests In ono hour. thereby
producing energy in the BODY long before most
other foods have ceased to consume energy dur.
ing digestion. Rice IL fun Of starch. Combined
with the fat Of meats and sea foods or with
vegetables, jellies and fruit II makes as per-
fectly balanced a dish as can be devised II lends
itself to tasty variety as there nre over 200 diff
fcrent ways OF preparing It with other foods.
Perhaps our "wastcfui crime" our Flu
ropean critic calls IT, can he explained In par,
by tho fact that except In tho South. women do
not cook rice property. Rice is appreciated In
the South. Eighty per cont of the American rice
crop Ia krown there. Southern women do not
stir rlc,. They know that rice mllers expend
hundred, OF thousands of dollars In intricate
machinery 20 remove the hull bran and fine
skins of rice without breaking the pearl-lke
grain wi hin. Women of other sections do not
understand this process. In n few minutes, they
destroy al the good accomplished by this ma
chinery b. stirring rice while IL Is cooking,
thereby bi esking tho grains ana producing a
sticky substance instead Of tho light flaky dish
with zach ernel standing separately that IN so
popular In the South.
Perhaps, 4 women generally cooked rice ar.
ferenty, Americans would find II more To- their
liking. Perhaps then our consumption OF rice
would approach nearer the figures quoted by our
European critic