Tales and Traditions

Because of the fact that, it has always been hard to fix rice origin, popular fancy has created several legends about its origin, where it is considered a divine 'gift', symbol of fecondity, industriousness, happiness and good health.

In India, they narrate that, once, Shiva God created a very beutiful girl, called Retna Dumilla ( Glittering Jewel ). Because of her great beauty, Shiva fell in love with her and he proposed marriage to her.

Retna Dumilla answered that if he didn't invent a food, with which being fed every day, without got tired, she wouldn't marry him. Shiva made some attempts, but they proved to be unsuccesful, because Retna Dumilla was hard to satisfy. So Shiva, enraged, obliged the girl, by force, to marry him.
The girl died of pain but, after forthy days, at night, upon her grave, some small lights appeared.On the morning, a lot of small buds sprouted from those lights.

Moved by the death, Shiva called that bud: Pari ( rice ).
That plant would have given, to men and Gods, the food asked by Retna Dumilla, a food that one could eat every day. Still nowadays, in Java island, rice priests ( dukon pari ), can indicate the most proper days and hours to sow and harvest and they pray for Dumilla's soul.
When rice is ripe, village dukon pari , does the round of the rice-field, while praying, then they set day for harvest.

In Vietnam, they say that, in the ancient times, a dying king asked to his sons, to find the most savoury dish, kingworthy,in order to allow him to offer it to the forefathers, once in front of them.
After having looked for, in many places, sons came back with their proposals but, none of them, really, satisfied old father. Then, youngest son asked his protective genius' help, to undertake the task, in his turn.Genius suggested to him to use rice, symbol of heaven and earth and to unite it to meat, symbol of men.
This dish, served wrapped in a banana leaf, is the Banh chung, national Vietnamese dish.