The Story of Thai Rice

Read more: Photo gallery: From Thailand’s Rice Bowl to Bangkok’s dinner tables  |  CNNgo.com

As the world’s largest exporter of rice in the world, Thailand is famous for its top quality, long-grain jasmine white rice, prized over the lower grades that are grown in other regions of Asia — and even the United States.

CNNGo headed into the ‘rice bowl’ of central Thailand to a farm outside the town of Khiri Mat in Sukhothai province to see how rice is cultivated, harvested and then shipped to Bangkok and beyond.

From the fields to the warehouses, it’s backbreaking work.

In Central Thailand, pre-germinated seedlings are grown in wet soils and then transplanted to irrigated rice paddies.

Rice Farmers in their bare feet pull out each seedling.

Central Thailand rice farmers grow varieties of rice that yield three crops a year.

Urban sprawl poses an ongoing environmental as well as geographical threat to rice farming.

A rice farmer readies fertilizer for distribution in her field.

After transplanting seedlings into the rice paddy, fertilizers are spread by hand.

A rice farmer proudly shows off her rice seedlings that are ready to be transplanted.

A shop worker bags rice for sale.

Warehouse workers carry 50KG sacks of rice to waiting trucks that will deliver rice to restaurants and canteens.

Rice wholesale workers take a rest between hauling bags to trucks.

The rice will be sold at lower prices to local Sukhothai customers due to the lower quality of the rice and simple packaging.

Higher quality rice is put in nicer bags and sent to the bigger cities like Bangkok and also exported abroad.

The simplest way to serve rice is steamed. This plate of rice at a Bangkok restaurant is served with stir-fried eggplant, seabass, chili and basil.

Rice is also used to make flat noodles, such as those in this dish stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and eggs.

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