RICE

Oil, bran, flour, and vinegar (grains) — Origin: Asia

Oryza sativa

GO WITH THE GRAIN

Oryza sativa is one of the plants most useful to mankind: it produces the rice grain. One of the cradles of the cultivation of rice is Southern China, as early as the fifth century BC. Among the twenty-odd known species, indica and japonica are the most common. There are about 130,000 varieties of rice, half of which are still cultivated. This cereal, consumed almost solely by humans, is mostly cultivated in tropical Asian countries, usually by small producers. Its cultivation gradually spread throughout the world. This herbaceous, vigorous cereal grows with its toes in the water, and is not fussy about soil quality. It thrives on the same plots of land for decades, or even centuries. Rice’s cultivation in flooded paddy fields gives birth to spectacular, magnificent agricultural landscapes, some of which are terraced down the slopes of tall hills. Rice, which nourishes a significant share of the world’s population, is very labor-intensive to grow. The method of transplantation makes it possible to harvest twice a year.

TEACHINGS FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL

Rice has always been a symbol of life and plenty in Eastern civilizations. In India, the sowing of rice is preceded by a ceremony: priests ask the gods to intercede in favor of a felicitous harvest. Each year in China, the emperor would perform a religious ritual during which he would plant a rice tree with his own hands. Good fortune and favorable omens rain down on newlyweds along with the rice thrown upon them by their guests at the end of the ceremony. Rice is also a symbol of fertility: holding some rice in hand will bring the bride happiness and motherhood. . . . Numerous legends in many cultures and societies illustrate the importance that is bestowed upon rice. In India, a local legend tells the story of Saint Thomas turning grains of sand into rice to feed the workers who were building his church. In Laos, a tale tells of the sorrow the grain of rice feels when it is left alone. In Japan, Inari, god of rice, and his messenger, the fox, are worshiped. In China, rice is the first star in the constellation devoted to the cereals. In traditional Chinese medicine, rice is a neutral food; it “fortifies the body and gives one a fine appearance.” In Europe, its first cosmetic use was in the famed rice powder: as early as the late 19th century, people would “powderize” themselves at every opportunity to obtain a matte complexion. In Japan, water that is used to rinse rice, or yu-su-ru, is collected and stored so it can be applied to the hair, which it protects. Rice bran, or nuka, has for centuries been a beauty secret—a gentle exfoliant that cleanses, purifies, and brightens the complexion.

“A spoonful of rice when you’re hungry is better than a bushel of rice when you’re full.”

GEORGES CLÉMENCEAU

ON PREPARING RICE

The panicles of rice are harvested and brought to the rice mill for sorting. The rice grain is made up of the endosperm, the germ, and the coat (or bran). Most of rice’s nutritional value is concentrated in the latter. In its full, unhusked form, rice is known as paddy. When rid of its first envelope, the husk, it becomes brown rice; remove the bran and you get white rice. The bran is obtained by mechanical abrasion of brown rice. Rice bran oil is obtained by pressing the envelope of brown rice. It has a pale tint and a gentle scent. Rice vinegar is obtained by acetic fermentation of rice wine, or sake, which is obtained from white rice that has been further polished with water.

THE BENEFITS

Rice bran oil is a sure source of vitality for the skin. The numerous enzymes it contains protect the skin from aging. Rice has a high concentration of antioxidants—oryzanols, vitamin E—and mineral salts that are indispensable to the proper functioning of the epidermis; it is also rich in phytosterols and carotenoids, which help soothe and calm irritated skin.

A FEW PINCHES OR A FEW DROPS

For city-dwellers who wish to help their skin fight pollution and stress, rice bran oil is a panacea. It protects the skin and fights oxidation as well as the signs of aging. Whenever you cook quality organic white rice, rinse it and keep the water as a precious commodity: it is ideal for rinsing the hair. Frozen into ice cubes, it can also stimulate microcirculation, alleviate the bags under your eyes, and care for dry lips. Rice flour masks are excellent as a way to calm down skin inflammation.

RICE-BASED RECIPES

from Officine Universelle

RICE BELLE

This soothing mask is an ideal weekly ritual for restoring balance to intolerant skin and caring for mature skin.

Mix a heaping 2¹/₂ teaspoons of rice flour with five heaping teaspoons of rice bran, adding a little warm water infused with floral water. Apply the resulting paste to your (well-cleansed) face and leave on for about ten minutes. Gently rinse with warm water and pat dry thoroughly with a spotlessly clean cloth.

ALABASTER COMPLEXION

Avoid the sun’s rays that age the skin prematurely and harness rice’s virtues to care for your dovelike complexion.

Fill a very fine, small cotton bag with rice bran. Plunge it into a very hot bath. Once the bath has cooled down to your preferred temperature, step into the water (you must have cleansed yourself beforehand); run the sachet at length over your face, neck, and neckline area. Get out of the bath without rinsing and pat dry.

RICE VINEGAR SUMMER BATH

Make peace with high temperatures and the surrounding dampness and reconnect with the joy of being active on the warmest days: dive into a toning and softening bath.

Pour two large tumblers of brown rice vinegar into a tub filled halfway with lukewarm water: step into the bath (when already clean) and remain in there for about ten minutes. Do not rinse—just pat yourself dry.

TANNING RICE-BASED SCRUB

A great miracle scrub, to be used once a month to carry the radiance of your summer body into the winter.

Combine half a cup of ground brown rice (with the texture of a coarse flour), half a cup of organic coconut milk, half a cup of grated organic coconut, and a tablespoon of ground turmeric in a blender: once the mixture has become smooth, massage vigorously over the whole body, using circular motions, for a good five minutes. Remove the excess paste with a natural sponge, then rinse with warm water.