Chinese rice encompasses both the staple grain, such as long-grain or glutinous varieties used as a neutral base for meals, and popular dishes like fried rice, made by stir-frying cooked rice with ingredients such as egg, meat, and vegetables in a wok with soy sauce, garlic, and oil. Rice cultivation in China dates back thousands of years, and different varieties like indica and japonica are grown for consumption and other purposes like making rice noodles.