Also called manoomin or mnomen ("the good seed" in
Anishinaabemowin
), ♒︎ lake rice, 🇨🇦 Canada rice, Indian rice, and ♒︎ water oats.
Despite its common names, not a
🌾︎ rice genus Oryza.
Instead, an ♒︎ 🌾︎ aquatic grass in
wild rice genus Zizania,
both members of
🌾︎ grass family Poaceae
in
🌾︎ grass/rush/sedge order Poales.
Native to much of North America, especially the Great Lakes Basin.
🌎︎ Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48)
(colors).
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Zizania hosts caterpillars of 5 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
Has a grain more nutritious than
Asian rice Oryza sativa.
Specifically,
cooked wild rice
has:
-
18% fewer calories (101/123) and 46% more protein (3.99/2.74) compared to
brown rice,
or
-
22% fewer calories (101/130) and 68% more protein (3.99/2.38) compared to
white rice.
If you can find wild rice grain for sale,
"true wild rice", native varieties, traditionally-harvested and -processed,
will cost about 5× as much as
"paddy rice", cultivated or GMO varieties, mechanically-harvested and -processed.
Manoomin: Native Wild Rice in Michigan slides by Barb Barton and Roger LaBine 
Wild Rice in Michigan slides by Barb Barton and Roger LaBine
Interview
"Settlers nearly destroyed Michigan's wild rice beds. Native tribes are restoring them." Michigan Radio show Stateside. .
or its
🔊︎ audio
Propagation protocol.