74 Food-Grains of India. 



cows. Where rice constitutes the almost entire food of the popu- 

 lation, the throwing away of the water in which it has been 

 boiled involves the loss of some of the mineral matter in which 

 rice is notoriously deficient, and is to be deprecated ; no more 

 water should be used in cooking this grain than can be absorbed 

 by it. Rice is sometimes boiled in milk. The parching of rice 

 is often done by stirring it in hot sand and then sifting out the 

 grains. They burst, and are eaten dry, or else are ground, mixed 

 with water, and consumed at midday meafe by travellers and 

 labourers. In Maldah the Hindustani-speaking population use 

 rice and wheat, the pure Bengali confines himself to rice. In 

 Benares rice is not much used, being replaced, amongst the 

 poor, by wheat, barley, jowari, bajra, and maize. The industrial 

 and labouring classes of Mirzapur consume but little rice, living 

 chiefly on barley and the various millets. 



According to the " Report of the Famine Commission " the 

 percentages of the rice-eating population in 7 provinces, etc., 

 were : 



North-West Provinces and 



Oudli ... ... ... 19 



Punjab ... ... ... 5 



Berar ... ... ... 2 



The exports of rice and paddy from India amounted in 

 1882-83 to 31;^ million cwts. Sixty-eight per cent, of this came 

 from Burma, 26 per cent, from Bengal, and 4 per cent, from 

 Madras. Of the total exports, 61 per cent, were sent to England 

 or the Continent (including Egypt). 



Rice is eaten in many forms and prepared in many ways 

 besides those already described. The five following preparations 

 may be selected for notice : 



(i.) Churwa, Chura, or Chira. Some dhan is boiled, dried, 

 and pounded to separate the husks ; the chaol thus obtained 

 is then heated in a wide-mouthed earthen pot, and while still 

 hot is flattened by beating. This preparation may be eaten 

 alone, but it is often made into balls -with gur or molasses, or 



