b>Rice isn't always 'rice'. Rice is grown all over China but it's as different in taste as cheese. There's no denying the fact that rice is the staple food of China but some Chinese are more lucky than others.

If you're living in China and have the luxury of a kitchen in your supplied apartment, the school probably provided you with a rice cooker. Maybe you've been to the supermarket and been astonished at the number of different varieties of rice on the shelves.

Which bag should you buy?

Well, if you want the best taste and the least glutonous, always opt for rice from Heilongjiang 黑龙江.

If your supermarket doesn't stock rice from this particular Chinese province, your second choice should be any of the north-eastern provinces; Liaoning 辽宁 for example. The flavour of 'Dong Bei' rice is far superior to rice from anywhere else in China.

Of course, people from, say, ShanXi 山西 will disagree with me but taste their rice and find out for yourself!