Also called manoomin or mnomen ("the good berry/seed/grain" in
Anishinaabemowin
), lake rice, Canada rice, Indian rice, and water oats.
Not a rice (genus Oryza). An aquatic grass, different from, and with a grain more nutritious than
Asian rice Oryza sativa.
Native to much of North America.
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Genus used as host by caterpillars of 5 species
of 🦋 butterflies and moths, in some areas.
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.
The History of Wild Rice in Michigan:
Where has all the Wild Rice gone?