Wild rice, also called Indian rice, is an aquatic grass that produces a cereal grain. It is not related to rice.
In North America, the most important species of wild rice is northern wild rice. Its stalks grow from 4 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters) high. The grain, which is high in protein and vitamins, is on the heads of the stalks.
Northern wild rice is an annual, which means each plant lives only one year. It grows in shallow streams, rivers, and lakes of the central United States and central Canada. It also is cultivated commercially, notably in Minnesota and Wisconsin, in artificial paddies. Much of the grain is sold for livestock feed. American Indians harvested wild rice by bending the stalks over the edge of a boat and beating the grains loose with sticks. Today, most wild rice is harvested mechanically.
