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  • Over three and half billion people from around the world eat rice as a staple part of their diet.

  • And we can only show some of the beloved rice dishes that exist.

  • Let's take a look at how rice is eaten around the world.

  • This dish stirs up a debate out of love.

  • Jollof rice is a dish from West Africa that varies from country to country.

  • It's popular in Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, and many others.

  • Most jollof rice dishes include tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

  • Choices of protein can vary from lamb to chicken, beef, or fish.

  • Jollof rice can be served with sides like fried plantains or vegetables.

  • Nasi goreng is Indonesia's national dish and translates simply to "fried rice".

  • It's believed to have been introduced when Chinese immigrants made their way to Indonesia sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries.

  • Nasi goreng is made with an abundance of spices, garlic, shallot, and a sweet soy sauce called "ketchup manis."

  • Meat, vegetables, and eggs can also be added in.

  • Some accompaniments include fried prawn crackers, salad, or sambal, an Indonesian chili sauce.

  • In Spanish cuisine, Paella is a must-try rice dish.

  • It originated in Valencia and is best cooked in a paella pan over an open fire.

  • Traditionally, it was made by farm laborers during lunch and eaten straight from the pan.

  • The meats and vegetables used in this dish varied based on whatever was available at the time.

  • Nowadays, there are plenty of variations with meat and seafood.

  • Essential ingredients are onions, garlic, and saffron for a deep yellow stain.

  • This creamy rice dish is an Italian staple.

  • Arborio or carnaroli rice is the best type of grain to use.

  • The rice is cooked with broth, butter, onions, wine, and Parmesan cheese.

  • Some may argue that risotto is time-consuming and requires a lot of attention when cooking.

  • But once you get a hang of the technique, the dish can be ready in as little as 30 minutes.

  • Cơm tấm, also known as "broken rice", is a Vietnamese dish with humble beginnings.

  • The grains used in cơm tấm are considered to be broken leftovers from the drying and milling process.

  • Traditionally, farmers from the Mekong Delta would cook the unsellable grains.

  • Eventually, they introduced the dish to the city of Saigon, which is now known as Ho Chi Minh City.

  • Cơm tấm is served with a variety of sides, like shredded pork, eggs, and pickled vegetables.

  • This rice entrée comes from the city of Yangzhou in China's Jiangxi Province.

  • Some may know the dish as "house fried rice."

  • It's made of rice tossed with roast pork, shrimp, scallions, eggs, and peas inside of a wok.

  • The best type of rice to use is left-over cooked rice.

  • Chinese restaurants worldwide have kept this dish a staple menu item.

  • India's biryani rice is a fusion of spices.

  • The word "biryani" derives from the Persian word "beryan" and means "fried before cooking."

  • A long-grain rice such as basmati is fried and cooked with meat, vegetables, eggs, nuts, and fruits.

  • Depending on the region, there are countless variations and cooking methods of biryani.

  • Puerto Rico's rice dish is also considered the island's national dish.

  • Arroz con gandules is rice cooked with pigeon peas, pork, and sofrito sauce.

  • It's usually served during holidays and special occasions.

  • Jamaican rice and peas uses pigeon peas or kidney beans.

  • Long-grain rice is cooked with coconut milk, garlic, scallions, pepper, and allspice.

  • Rice and peas is commonly served in households every Sunday.

  • It's usually served as a side dish, along with curries or jerk and barbecue chicken.

  • Using similar ingredients, like pigeon peas and coconut milk, Trinidad and Tobago's rice dish is called "pelau."

  • Trinidadians use a technique called "browning the meat" by adding meat to burnt sugar in a pot with onions and garlic before adding the rice and other ingredients.

  • For extra flavor, a key ingredient to add near the end of cooking would be Golden Ray salted butter.

  • The final product can be served wet, meaning it's on the soupier side, or dry, on the grainy side.

  • Korean bibimbap translates to "mixed rice with meat and vegetables."

  • Traditionally, it was made with raw beef and raw egg yolk.

  • Today, many variations exist based on choice.

  • White rice is served with side dishes like kimchi, onions, eggs, mushrooms, and so on.

  • Bibimbap is served with gochujang sauce for extra flavor.

  • When visiting Louisiana, you must add jambalaya to your food bucket list.

  • The one-pot dish is a staple in New Orleans and can be categorized into two types: Creole and Cajun.

  • The Creole version is redder and uses tomatoes.

  • In both versions, long-grain rice is cooked with a mix of meats.

  • Some popular choices are seafood, chicken, or sausage; some variations include all three.

  • Vegetables, onion, spices, and peppers are also mixed in.

  • This rice dish is sweet.

  • Champorado is a chocolate porridge made with glutinous sweet rice.

  • Traditionally, tableya, or pure cocoa blocks, are used, but cocoa powder makes a great substitution.

  • In the Philippines, the porridge is commonly eaten for breakfast and served alongside tuyo, a salted dried fish.

  • It's topped with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, or coconut milk.

  • Tahdig is basically scorched rice.

  • It's made from the pan-fried layer of crust at the bottom of the rice pot.

  • Many years ago, rice was a luxury ingredient in Persia.

  • According to legend, a single grain of rice should not go wasted or left in the pot.

  • To achieve this, cooks would layer the bottom of the pot with bread to prevent the rice from burning.

  • Other techniques use a mixture of rice, yogurt, and saffron or thin slices of peeled potatoes.

  • Whichever ingredient you choose to place beneath the rice, the end result will be a golden, crispy layer at the bottom of the pot.

  • Mansaf is Jordan's national dish.

  • It consists of rice and lamb cooked in a sauce called "jameed", which is a fermented dried yogurt.

  • The dish is served on a platter in layers with a base of flat bread; rice, jameed, lamb, almonds, and pine nuts are layered on top.

  • These Japanese rice balls are called onigiri.

  • Steamed rice is formed into shapes like balls, triangles, or cylinders.

  • It's then wrapped in nori, dried seaweed.

  • Onigiri can be eaten plain or stuffed with fillings like salmon or vegetables.

  • It makes a perfect snack for on-the-go.

  • What's your favorite dish?

  • Will you be trying any of these in our video?

  • Let us know in the comments below.

Over three and half billion people from around the world eat rice as a staple part of their diet.

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