Rice, right like wheat and sweetcorn, is a cereal and, like all cereals, is mostly made up with starch. Besides starch, a nourishing and easily digestible substance, rice contains proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibres. All over the world, there are more than 140.000 different varieties or, to be more exact, rice ecotypes; each having different cooking times and tastes.
From primitive wild species, two Oryza species, rice scientific term, were differentiated and farmed : Oryza sativa, from Asia, the most familiar to us and Oryza glaberrima, from Africa, whose farming is constantly lessening, in favour of asian specie.

Indica, from India, is the oldest, it has a long, fine and crystalline grain. Basmati or american "long grain" derive from this subspecie.
Javanica, a large and long grain, farmed in Indonesia, nearly unknown in Italy.
Japonica, actually from China, fit for temperate zones, largely produced, it has a short, round and pearly grain. All the farmed species, over the centuries, in our country, derive from this subspecie, they are a lot and, among them, we mention: Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, Ribe, Roma, Europa, S.Andrea, Originario.