#Lovelocal? You can now fill your rice bowl with the first ever rice variety created right here in Singapore. Founded by Dr Yin Zhongcao from research institute Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Temasek Rice was created by cross-breeding jasmine rice grown in South-east Asia with five other types grown in the region.
According to Dr Yin, a senior principal investigator who has been conducting research and field trials on rice over the last eight years, Temasek Rice is an aromatic rice variety that is high in dietary fibre, has high yield properties, and an increased resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases.
Cross-pollinated via 'marker assisted breeding' - a process through which scientists can pick out desirable rice genes and traits for selection efficiency - Temasek Rice's rice stalks are shorter and more sturdy than that of regular rice varieties, making them less likely to topple from strong winds. It is also specially formulated to have a greater tolerance to environmental stresses such as droughts and floods - in the case of the latter, the rice can ‘hibernate" for up to two weeks when submerged in water.
About six tons of Temasek Rice grains can be produced per hectare on average, nearly four times more than the original type of jasmine rice. It is currently being grown in Tasikmalaya in Indonesia on a small scale, but Dr Yin is looking to partner more rice companies to increase the production of the rice.
(Related: Local Produce That You Didn't Know Could Be Grown In Singapore)
We speak with Dr Yin about his latest invention.
What made you interested in rice, and in growing an original rice variety?
We looked at this from two angles. Firstly, rice is the most widely cultivated crop in Asia and this unassuming crop is often unappreciated in its role in the livelihood, history and culture of the people in Asia. It was only when we faced a potential food supply crisis in 2008 when it became clear how central a role rice occupies for us.
Today, rice cultivation is under threat from climate change and other environmental stresses making it important that science is brought to bear to address some of these threats to avoid a potential repeat of the 2008 situation.
On another front, rice is often seen as something we eat just to fill our stomachs. As consumer awareness, preferences and choices change, we feel that availability of a good quality, aromatic rice with a soft texture and better nutrition and care for the environment will shift the perception of rice. We wanted something that can bring greater benefits across the entire spectrum, from farmers to consumers, and from individual to environmental benefits.
Why did you decide to produce Temasek Rice in Indonesia and how much rice are you currently producing?
We have only produced the rice in small quantities for the soft launch. It started with our community efforts in Aceh, where we went with partners to help build capability and rebuild lives of farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by the tsunami. Using modern breeding technologies, we worked with local researchers to improve their local rice varieties suitable for planting in the geographic region. We also identified opportunities and suitable partners that share similar vision and could bring the technology downstream by engaging farming community to grow the rice.
What was the greatest challenge in your research and production of Temasek Rice?
The challenge is [overcoming skepticism as to] how a country without any rice fields and rice farmers can even think that it can contribute to the regional rice-growing efforts! We firmly believe that, like all industries, science and technology can and should play a more direct role in creating economic, environmental and societal impact.
We hope that by working with partners in different countries, we can help to use innovation as a resource enhancer, returning to the community many more times than what we use to put into growing food, such as water, labour and more.
(Related: How One Michelin-Recommended Hotel Is Doing Its Part To Reduce Food Waste)
How does the taste and texture of Temasek Rice different from regular rice varieties? Can it be cooked and stored the same way as regular rice?
Temasek Rice is a premium fragrant rice variety that is 100 per cent natural, high in dietary fibre, has good grain quality, soft in texture and palatable. It is able to capture the nutritional benefits of brown rice and the softness and fragrance of white rice. There is no special way to prepare the rice, it can be cooked as regular brown rice and it does not have to be soaked before cooking.
Aside from eating the rice plain, we have received recipes from satisfied consumers who have kindly shared with us how they prepared and consumed the rice. They include mixing brown rice with white rice to cook sweet potato porridge, seafood fried rice, claypot rice, Japanese eel served with the rice and even salmon and cheese origini!
The rice should be stored in a cool dry place, kept in an air-tight container after opening and kept away from direct sunlight and chemical agents to maintain freshness.
What's next for Temasek Rice?
Temasek Rice was purposefully bred for Singapore and the region. Singapore, as a non-agricultural country, can now play a role in helping to reduce and relieve modern challenges of conventional trade through the development of platform technologies.
We hope to achieve sustainability through Temasek Rice to make a positive difference to lives and the society, as well as to contribute to long-term food security for the region.
We also hope that this will be the first of many new innovations that we can come up with to help secure the region’s food security concerns. We are working on other rice varieties but we are unable to comment at this stage.
(Related: The Art of Living Better and Buying Better)
Watch the video below to learn more about Temasek Rice:
“Temasek Rice is available at Meidi-Ya supermarket in Liang Court from $6.95 for a 1kg packet.”
