The most significant crop in the world, rice is a staple in the diets of more than half of the Earth’s people. Chinese lore claimed it was a gift from the animals after a flood; eons ago, the Japanese paid their taxes with rice; in the American South, rice became the cash crop for plantation owners at the expense of the enslavement of thousands of Africans. At a family-style dinner during the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, chefs came together to create a meal that pays homage to each of their stories and explores how food, specifically rice, can bridge the gap between cultures.