Why is rice so beloved? - Carolyn Beans episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 10, 2026 · 6 MIN

Why is rice so beloved? - Carolyn Beans

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Dig into how rice became a staple in the world’s diet, and the surprising consequences of its traditional production practices.--Rice contributes over 20% of the calories consumed by humans each year. Korean bibimbap, Nigerian jollof, Indian biryani, Spanish paella, and countless other culinary masterpieces all begin with rice. So how did this humble grain end up in so many cuisines? Carolyn Beans investigates the global expansion of this beloved crop and the unintended consequences of its popularity.Lesson by Carolyn Beans, directed by Na Na Na Studio.This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & ScaleLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnerA special thanks to Michele Reba who provided information and insights for the development of this video.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-rice-so-popular-carolyn-beansDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-rice-so-popular-carolyn-beans/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://nananastudio.comMusic: https://www.workplaywork.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti and Hoai Nam Tran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into how rice became a staple in the world’s diet, and the surprising consequences of its traditional production practices.--Rice contributes over 20% of the calories consumed by humans each year. Korean bibimbap, Nigerian jollof, Indian biryani, Spanish paella, and countless other culinary masterpieces all begin with rice. So how did this humble grain end up in so many cuisines? Carolyn Beans investigates the global expansion of this beloved crop and the unintended consequences of its popularity.Lesson by Carolyn Beans, directed by Na Na Na Studio.This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & ScaleLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnerA special thanks to Michele Reba who provided information and insights for the development of this video.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-rice-so-popular-carolyn-beansDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-rice-so-popular-carolyn-beans/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://nananastudio.comMusic: https://www.workplaywork.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti and Hoai Nam Tran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Why is rice so beloved? - Carolyn Beans

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This episode was published on June 10, 2026.

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Dig into how rice became a staple in the world’s diet, and the surprising consequences of its traditional production practices.--Rice contributes over 20% of the calories consumed by humans each year. Korean bibimbap, Nigerian jollof, Indian...

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