jīng mǐ. also known as Japonica corn rice, etc., as opposed to indica rice. Japonica rice has been used as food in China for at least 2,000 years. Japonica rice grain shape is short and broad, oval, according to the different harvest season, divided into early Japonica rice and late Japonica rice. Early Japonica rice has more white belly and fewer hard grains, containing about 18% of straight-chain starch; late Japonica rice has less white belly and more hard grains, containing about 15% of straight-chain starch. Japonica rice grain is generally oval or round. The grains are plump and fat, and the cross-section is nearly round. The color is waxy white, transparent or translucent. The texture is hard and tough. After cooking, the viscosity and oil are large, soft and delicious, but the rate of steamed rice is relatively low. Japonica rice according to the harvest season, divided into early Japonica rice and late Japonica rice. Early Japonica rice is translucent, belly white larger, less hard grain. The quality of the rice is poor. Late Japonica rice is white or wax-white, belly white small, hard grain more. Mainly produced in China's Yellow River basin, northern and northeastern; in the south is distributed at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level, more cold-resistant, is a subspecies for the development of mid-latitude and higher altitude areas.