Oryza sativa L.
Alongside beans, rice is the base, the everyday staple food of most meals in Brazil. It arrived with the Portuguese colonizers and the crops soon spread throughout the country. Currently, the largest producer is the state of Rio Grande do Sul, followed by Santa Catarina, and Mato Grosso. The white grains – cleaned of their husks and bran – of the long grain variety account for about 80% of the national consumption. It is also available in the brown version, with unpolished grains. Rice cooked with dried shrimp and resella is called Arroz de cuxá, a traditional dish of Maranhão.
