Rice in Europe

[The Lawspeaker]

Rice is now being grown in the South of Europe. Mainly in Southern France, Spain, parts of Greece and along the flood plains of the River Po in Italy.

Would it be desirable and possible to spread it throughout other parts of Europe in order to become more self-sufficient ? And where would it be possible ?


Rice fields in Spain.

[Fortis in Arduis]

Europe has grown rice for a long time already, so we can do it, I prefer rice to any other grain.

Grow it wherever possible in preference to other carbo-foods, why not?

[The Lawspeaker]

Europe has grown rice for a long time already.

Yes. But not in any really significant quantities and we have to import a lot and since we have the problems with French farmers I thought: well.. what it would be possible for those in the South to look for new crops like rice ?

Anything to ween them off the tit of the European Union.

[O Argonauta]

Portugal has always produced and consumed rice since rice is part of the traditional gastronomy here. Its one of the few crops where there is some degree of self-suficiency. There are only 3 relatively small rice-growing areas in Portugal all in the lower flood plains of 3 rivers.

Portuguese rice dishes:






Portuguese rice cake:

[Comte Arnau]

Well, in the Catalan Lands it's been grown for ages. Or don't you know paella? (Which even if sold to you as a 'national Spanish dish', lol, it's actually a Catalan one, typical in the South of Catalonia and Valencia, where most rice is grown.) Paella simply means 'frying pan' in Catalan. Oh, and it's pronounced pa-EH-lya, not paYEla.


The Ebro Delta, a land of rice, in the deep South of Catalonia.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Rice is also popular in the Balkans and is part of a lot of dishes such sarma for example. We grow the best tasting rice compared to other regions of Europe like Italy.

[Groenewolf]

Would it not require a high amount of water to grow?

[Bloodeagle]

Would it not require a high amount of water to grow?

Yes, it also requires a fair amount of heat to grow, this is why it is only grown from the tropics to the warmer parts of the temperate regions.
Until an extremely cold hardy variety of rice is developed, wheat, barley and oats will remain the staple grains of the north country.

[The Lawspeaker]

Would it not require a high amount of water to grow?

I don't think that we lack that in large parts of Europe. And there are good ways to conserve water these days.

Yes, it also requires a fair amount of heat to grow, this is why it is only grown from the tropics to the warmer parts of the temperate regions.

The climate in large parts of Southern France would be suitable then. Including along parts of the Rhone Valley. There are also certain strains growing in Northern Japan and even Mongolia.

[Bloodeagle]

The climate in large parts of Southern France would be suitable then. Including along parts of the Rhone Valley. There are also certain strains growing in Northern Japan and even Mongolia.

If rice can grow around Sapporo then I think it would grow fine in Holland.