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Rice was first grown in China 7,000 years ago; from there, its cultivation spread to India and Sri Lanka. Trade relations between the Indies and the people of East Africa brought it to the Black Continent, and from there to Northern Africa and to the people of the Middle East.
Indians consider rice a gift from god, while the Chinese have an ancient saying:
“In life, it is not gold that is more precious, but the five grains of the earth, of which rice is the most valuable.”
Rice travelled to Western Asia with the troops of Alexander the Great on their return journey home, as they made stops in various cities in Central Asia, before finally spreading to the rest of Europe.
In Italy and Spain, its cultivation became systematic in the 9th century, and for many centuries it was used more as medicine than food.
In the 16th century, rice travelled with the Spaniards to Mexico and subsequently with the Portuguese to Brazil. In North America, it arrived almost 150 years later, and the first systematic crops were grown in the Carolina region, which gave its name to one of the most popular rice cultivars.
The ancient Greek botanist Theofrastos, the naturalist Dioskourides and the doctor Galen had studied rice as a plant, nutritional product and method of treatment for digestive tract disorders. In general, our ancestors relied on products that were derivatives of other grains.
In Greece, the cultivation of rice expanded after 1946 in various regions of the country. Starting in the 1950s, rice production covered the country’s domestic needs, and significant quantities were also being exported.
Today, rice is grown mostly in Northern Greece, specifically in Central Macedonia, on approximately 64,250 acres of land. The Halastra area produces approximately 70% of all Greek rice. Greek rice fields are located primarily on river estuaries and coastal areas. On the Axios river estuary, one can admire the endless rice fields stretching over the landscape like a painting.
“Rice is the most widespread staple in the world.”
Bearing in mind that rice has been cultivated around the world since ancient times, there are now over 140,000 varieties.
Of the 300,000 acres of rice fields in Greece, 80% are grown with Japonica type rice. from the best rice of this type because the Greek soils are salty and this helps the high quality. The remaining 20% is Indica type rice, it is high quality rice exported to Europe.
Greek rice varieties are of high and stable yields. Our country is ranked in the four countries with the highest performance in the world!
Rice cultivation in Halastra begins and ends in the river basin of the Axios, Loudias, and Gallikos rivers, and primarily in the areas near the estuaries. Irrigation is carried out through the canals and drainage through pumping stations located near the rivers’ estuaries.
Continuous monitoring of the crops combined with local climate conditions yield products with exceptional quality characteristics.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a mixture of hundreds of distinct proteins, which belong to the same family.
It is essentially made up of two classes of proteins:
1) Gliadin, which makes bread rise during baking.
2) Gluten, which is responsible for the elasticity of dough.
Gluten is a natural substance that leads directly to the destruction of the intestinal mucosa and, consequently, hinders the completion of proper digestion and absorption of nutrients by the organism.
Celiac disease, otherwise known as enteropathy due to gluten or gluten intolerance, is a pathological condition of the small intestine that constitutes an immune condition caused by the protein in grains called gluten.
People with sensitivity or intolerance to gluten produce an abnormal immune response during digestion, when the gluten in the food they consume is broken down.
Gluten and diet
The renowned “gluten-free diet” excludes all protein and, consequently, the cereals that include it (wheat, barley and rye).
Not all grains contain gluten. Gluten-free grains include millet, quinoa, rice, etc.
The gluten-free trend was started in the United States and quickly earned devoted fans.
1. It promises to limit inflammation. Gluten is a component that must definitely be avoided in cases of autoimmune celiac disease.
2. It can affect weight loss. Nutritional restrictions related to a “gluten-free” lifestyle may aid weight loss. Especially when starch is replaced by healthier options, such as quinoa. But it is equally likely that the opposite will occur: consuming “healthy” foods may lead to weight gain. Many such foods contain added fats or sugars to improve their flavor. Thus, they have more calories, deceiving consumers.
3. Gluten-free diets potentially improve digestion and reduce bloating. Better digestion, in turn, may provide relief from symptoms related to other gastrointestinal disorders, such as lactose intolerance.
Strict vegetarians and vegans adopt a non-violent philosophy and abstain from anything that is harmful to the environment, animals, and humans.
Consequently, many of them do not consume products that were tested on animals. They also do not wear clothes made of leather or wool, and they do not attend or watch spectacles that involve the exploitation of animals.
Finally, some of them abstain from products containing palm oil, because its production has led to the deforestation of the natural habitat of orangutans, and as a result this particular species is in danger of extinction.
Rice and grains are top choices for vegetarians.
Any dietary choice can be met through the large variety of foods provided by nature.
Nature is the life -creator. It offers us all its values in abundance. That’s why we owe it our respect. Rice processing is a simple and natural process.
The husked rice grain consists of the nucellus that contains the germ, the seed heart and the endosperm that feeds the germ, several layers of bran and the hull.
During the husking process, the outer layers of the rice are removed; specifically, the hull and layers of bran are removed, as well as the rice germ that is rich in fats and also located on the surface, that’s how the white rice grain is created.
Αll products generated from the processing of husked rice are utilized 100%, and specifically:
Wholly milled rice
Whole milled rice grains are perhaps the most important food staple in the world, supplementing the dietary needs of billions of people. At the same time, they are used to produce flakes and other processed foods.
Broken rice
Broken rice that results from processing is used to make processed foods and alcoholic beverages.
Rice flour
Rice flour is used in the food industry, and specifically in the production of baby foods.
Rice bran
Rice bran results from processing of the rice pericarp and is used for livestock feed.
Hull
Rice hull is a form of biomass that is abundant throughout the world and is used to produce green energy.
Rice was first grown in China 7,000 years ago; from there, its cultivation spread to India and Sri Lanka. Trade relations between the Indies and the people of East Africa brought it to the Black Continent, and from there to Northern Africa and to the people of the Middle East.
Indians consider rice a gift from god, while the Chinese have an ancient saying:
“In life, it is not gold that is more precious, but the five grains of the earth, of which rice is the most valuable.”
Rice travelled to Western Asia with the troops of Alexander the Great on their return journey home, as they made stops in various cities in Central Asia, before finally spreading to the rest of Europe.
In Italy and Spain, its cultivation became systematic in the 9th century, and for many centuries it was used more as medicine than food.
In the 16th century, rice travelled with the Spaniards to Mexico and subsequently with the Portuguese to Brazil. In North America, it arrived almost 150 years later, and the first systematic crops were grown in the Carolina region, which gave its name to one of the most popular rice cultivars.
The ancient Greek botanist Theofrastos, the naturalist Dioskourides and the doctor Galen had studied rice as a plant, nutritional product and method of treatment for digestive tract disorders. In general, our ancestors relied on products that were derivatives of other grains.
In Greece, the cultivation of rice expanded after 1946 in various regions of the country. Starting in the 1950s, rice production covered the country’s domestic needs, and significant quantities were also being exported.
Today, rice is grown mostly in Northern Greece, specifically in Central Macedonia, on approximately 64,250 acres of land. The Halastra area produces approximately 70% of all Greek rice. Greek rice fields are located primarily on river estuaries and coastal areas. On the Axios river estuary, one can admire the endless rice fields stretching over the landscape like a painting.
“Rice is the most widespread staple in the world.”
Bearing in mind that rice has been cultivated around the world since ancient times, there are now over 140,000 varieties.
Of the 300,000 acres of rice fields in Greece, 80% are grown with Japonica type rice. from the best rice of this type because the Greek soils are salty and this helps the high quality. The remaining 20% is Indica type rice, it is high quality rice exported to Europe.
Greek rice varieties are of high and stable yields. Our country is ranked in the four countries with the highest performance in the world!
Rice cultivation in Halastra begins and ends in the river basin of the Axios, Loudias, and Gallikos rivers, and primarily in the areas near the estuaries. Irrigation is carried out through the canals and drainage through pumping stations located near the rivers’ estuaries.
Continuous monitoring of the crops combined with local climate conditions yield products with exceptional quality characteristics.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a mixture of hundreds of distinct proteins, which belong to the same family.
It is essentially made up of two classes of proteins:
1) Gliadin, which makes bread rise during baking.
2) Gluten, which is responsible for the elasticity of dough.
Gluten is a natural substance that leads directly to the destruction of the intestinal mucosa and, consequently, hinders the completion of proper digestion and absorption of nutrients by the organism.
Celiac disease, otherwise known as enteropathy due to gluten or gluten intolerance, is a pathological condition of the small intestine that constitutes an immune condition caused by the protein in grains called gluten.
People with sensitivity or intolerance to gluten produce an abnormal immune response during digestion, when the gluten in the food they consume is broken down.
Gluten and diet
The renowned “gluten-free diet” excludes all protein and, consequently, the cereals that include it (wheat, barley and rye).
Not all grains contain gluten. Gluten-free grains include millet, quinoa, rice, etc.
The gluten-free trend was started in the United States and quickly earned devoted fans.
1. It promises to limit inflammation. Gluten is a component that must definitely be avoided in cases of autoimmune celiac disease.
2. It can affect weight loss. Nutritional restrictions related to a “gluten-free” lifestyle may aid weight loss. Especially when starch is replaced by healthier options, such as quinoa. But it is equally likely that the opposite will occur: consuming “healthy” foods may lead to weight gain. Many such foods contain added fats or sugars to improve their flavor. Thus, they have more calories, deceiving consumers.
3. Gluten-free diets potentially improve digestion and reduce bloating. Better digestion, in turn, may provide relief from symptoms related to other gastrointestinal disorders, such as lactose intolerance.
Strict vegetarians and vegans adopt a non-violent philosophy and abstain from anything that is harmful to the environment, animals, and humans.
Consequently, many of them do not consume products that were tested on animals. They also do not wear clothes made of leather or wool, and they do not attend or watch spectacles that involve the exploitation of animals.
Finally, some of them abstain from products containing palm oil, because its production has led to the deforestation of the natural habitat of orangutans, and as a result this particular species is in danger of extinction.
Rice and grains are top choices for vegetarians.
Any dietary choice can be met through the large variety of foods provided by nature.
Nature is the life -creator. It offers us all its values in abundance. That’s why we owe it our respect. Rice processing is a simple and natural process.
The husked rice grain consists of the nucellus that contains the germ, the seed heart and the endosperm that feeds the germ, several layers of bran and the hull.
During the husking process, the outer layers of the rice are removed; specifically, the hull and layers of bran are removed, as well as the rice germ that is rich in fats and also located on the surface, that’s how the white rice grain is created.
Αll products generated from the processing of husked rice are utilized 100%, and specifically:
Wholly milled rice
Whole milled rice grains are perhaps the most important food staple in the world, supplementing the dietary needs of billions of people. At the same time, they are used to produce flakes and other processed foods.
Broken rice
Broken rice that results from processing is used to make processed foods and alcoholic beverages.
Rice flour
Rice flour is used in the food industry, and specifically in the production of baby foods.
Rice bran
Rice bran results from processing of the rice pericarp and is used for livestock feed.
Hull
Rice hull is a form of biomass that is abundant throughout the world and is used to produce green energy.
"Hippocrates"