Wild rice

The wild rice is the seed of herbaceous plants belonging to the genus Zizania (see the biblical parable here), which in turn belongs to the family Poaceae (the grasses).

There are several species, when simply referring to “wild rice” it usually means Zizania aquatica, a plant typical of the US East Coast and some areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

Zizania palustris, native to the far North of the United States and Canada, is generally called “northern wild rice.”

Zizania texana is grown in Texas, and Zizania latifolia, is instead a variety found in Asia.

It is not really rice, but in some ways, it is more like wheat, although gluten-free.

By the will of the Canadian State, wild rice is harvested in a completely traditional manner through the use of canoes.