Field Guide to Rice in Hong Kong

Two years of farmland reclamation
Eight years of all weather conditions
Over thirty varieties of local rice successively revived
New varieties such as "Wushan Siao" and "Hong Kong White Glutinous Rice" surprisingly emerged

——Orphaned rice varieties from overseas are re-sprouting in Hong Kong soil——

Rice paddies were once a common sight in Hong Kong, and Siao rice was a brand of Hong Kong agriculture. Unfortunately, with the abandonment of rice fields, the seeds also perished. But the story did not end there.

The "Give Us the Earth" team retrieved a batch of traditional Hong Kong rice seeds from an overseas seed bank and brought them back to Hong Kong. They replanted them using natural sustainable methods, purified and revitalized them, and meticulously documented the process. During this time, they unexpectedly cultivated new varieties: "Wushan Siao" and "Hong Kong White Glutinous Rice." This book records the characteristics and growth data of these local rice varieties, as well as the team's rehabilitation philosophy and experience in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po. The story of Hong Kong people and rice deserves to be recorded, and also to be given another chance to sprout and grow.

"Rice is changing, and Siao rice is activating more switches from the gene pool. Our new project is to showcase the changes in rice since its reintroduction, and its respective uses and benefits. It's not about nostalgia; it's about promotion, putting the overlooked benefits of traditional rice back into their rightful place. They should enter industry, inspire art, impact the culinary world, and shape Hong Kong's landscape."
──Consultant for the Local Rice Documentation Project, Yuan Yi-tian