After all that South Asian coverage, here's a Latino-flavored report on the rice crisis...
The New York Times
New York Up Close - In Latino Enclaves, Less Arroz, More BeansBy ALEX MINDLIN
Published: May 18, 2008
HOW important is rice to Dominicans?
The food is so ubiquitous that the national lunchtime staple of rice, beans and meat is known as the Dominican flag. Some Dominican families hang decorated rice balls on their Christmas trees, and the grain shows up in appetizers, main dishes and desserts, among them the sweet, clove-scented rice pudding known as arroz con leche....
Latinos of almost every nationality in New York have been hit hard by the climbing price of rice. The price of a ton of Thai jasmine rice, the most popular American import, has risen to $1,175 from $559 over the last year....
The impact can be readily seen in neighborhoods like Washington Heights, home to a large Dominican population, and Jackson Heights, Queens, the heart of several South and Central American communities....
At El Guayaquileño, a violet and mint green Ecuadorean lunch truck parked on Roosevelt Avenue at 80th Street in Jackson Heights, Marco Mendez is serving his customers more lentils and beans to compensate for the lack of rice.
“Ecuadoreans love rice,†Mr. Mendez explained during a lull, with the air of one imparting a secret. “The client is used to seeing the rice, and they know. So the reduction has to be minimal.â€
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