Rice is on plates all over Singapore — chicken rice, nasi lemak, porridge, and more!
But rice does not start as fluffy grains in a bowl. It starts as a tiny seed that grows into a tall green plant standing in water.
Let's follow rice from seed to bowl! 👉
A rice plant looks like tall grass. Farmers grow it in a flooded field called a paddy field. The water keeps weeds away and helps the rice grow.
The golden tips at the top are where the rice grains grow!
Every rice plant begins as a single seed (this is what an uncooked rice grain really is!). With warm water, it wakes up and sprouts a little green shoot.
When the seedlings are a few weeks old, farmers gently move them into the flooded paddy field. They plant them in neat rows so each plant has room to grow.
Tap the 4 empty spots in the water to plant a seedling.
Now the rice grows tall over about 3 to 4 months. Tap each card to reveal what a rice plant needs.
When the plant turns golden, it is ready! Farmers cut the plants and collect the grains. This is called the harvest.
The grains are dried in the sun, then the hard outer shell (the husk) is removed. What's left is the rice we cook and eat!
Tap the steps in the correct order, from very first to very last.
The rice journey:
Next time you eat rice, you'll know its amazing journey. Well done! 👏