Picking Rice

Ok, so maybe I’m starting to run low on material, but I thought this experience was pretty interesting and worth sharing.  And since it's Thanksgiving today, I thought a food-related post would be fitting.

Typically on days that all of our business mentors come in from the field for training, lunch is provided due to the distance they travel and the duration of the meetings they attend.  The meal is usually cooked by someone hired by the office; however, this week, the woman who usually does the cooking was out ill. So the office staff all pitched in to help with the lunch preparations.

Usually in times like these, I help with things like the dishes, because then I can be of help but be out of the way and let those more experienced with the cooking take the lead.  However, it was a big task cooking for about 15 people (while everyone was also trying to get work done), so once I had completed the first round of dishes, I offered further assistance.

That’s when I was told, "Kim, you can help with picking the rice," and I was given a large bowl and a tray. 

Now, I’m sure this is not a uniquely African experience, and perhaps it's done in the States as well, or has been done in the past; but it’s not something that I ever recall having the occasion to do before...

Usually when I buy a bag of rice here for my own consumption, I purchase it from a store, and it has already been picked, or cleaned (like many Americans, I choose convenience over cost). However, it’s cheaper to buy it in bulk from the outdoor market.  So that is what is done when cooking for events for the non-profit (due to obvious cost-saving reasons), and  this is what (I believe) most of my Ugandan colleagues use as well.

So why the need to pick the rice?  Basically, when bought in bulk from the market, the rice has rocks, and bits of grass, and other fragments in it that you don’t want to be ingesting.  

It was explained to me that this happens because of how the farmers who grow the rice prepare it for selling.  When ready, the rice is harvested, and then placed into stacks on the ground. The piles of stalks are then beaten with sticks to knock loose the rice grains (this is also how beans are extracted from the vines).  Then the grains are laid outside on the ground (or at times, on tarps) to dry.  So, when the rice is scooped up to be transported to market, stones and other bits are inevitably included in the mix.

Rice to be "picked"

So back to the picking. I first received a tutorial on how it's done. I was to pour a portion of rice onto the platter, and then meticulously sort it from one side of the platter to the other, a small number of grains at a time, searching for stones and other debris. It was tedious work that required focused attention, and good eyes. (It did not help that the platter was tarnished black, and most of the stones are darkly colored as well.)

Picking the rice  

It was the kind of work that anal people like me can tend to enjoy, but then we can also tend to get caught up spending a little too much time in the process.  Eventually reinforcements were brought in to assist with speeding things up...  It reminded me of when I would do things to assist at home like helping to wash dishes, and then someone would eventually take over because I was taking too long. :)

For the results, as you can see, we removed a number of stones.  But even with my meticulous picking, some rocks still got through, so my coworker had to quality check my work. :(

Debris removed from the rice
(and dirty hands to show for the hard work) 

While it may seem mundane, the task is actually quite important when you consider that most people around here don’t have easy access (if access at all) to dental care. So one has to use great care. You don't want foreign objects carelessly left in the rice to cause harm to those who consume it.  So far, there have been no complaints or dental bills passed my way since the lunch earlier this week, so I think I was successful (or perhaps just lucky). 

To me, it's just another glimpse into how life can be more difficult for people here, especially when you consider those without running water, who, if they can even afford to eat rice, would also have the added tasks of taking a jerry can to the well to fetch water and then starting a fire to be able to cook after the picking is done. 

Just another thing to be thankful for as Thanksgiving groceries are purchased, and cans are opened, and people come together to share bountiful meals and give thanks for all that we are fortunate to have.