Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Nasi, Balinese rice




Rice cultivation can be traced back 2000 years in Bali. It is so important that there are at least five different words for it in the Balinese language and the length of the traditional Balinese rice growing season, 220 days, is also the length of the Balinese year. This traditional rice has been largely replaced by a high yield variety capable of 2 to 3 harvests per (western calendar) year. This "miracle rice" has led to a rice monoculture, making the supply more vulnerable to pests and disease, (therefore more dependent on pesticides).

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