A staple for most Singaporeans, is commercially cultivated in many parts of Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia
Price: FairPrice Thai 100% White Rice (5kg), $5.60
Nutritional value: One cup (158g) of cooked enriched white rice contains:
Calories: 205
Protein: 4g
Fat: Trace amounts
Calcium: 16mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Carbohydrates: 45g
Fast fact: The International Rice Research Institute says world rice production in 2007 was approximately 645million tonnes. China and India combined produced more than half of that
EGG NOODLES
There are various noodle-making techniques, including cutting, pulling and extrusion (forcing dough through a die)
Price: Myojo Egg Noodle (200g), $0.87
Nutritional value: 1 cup (160g) of cooked enriched egg noodles contains:
Calories: 213
Protein: 8g
Fat: 2g
Calcium: 19mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fast fact: In October 2005, 4,000-year-old noodles were found in China. The noodles were 50cm long and were made of foxtail millet and broomcorn millet
BARLEY
Barley is a key ingredient in the production of beer. It is also used to make barley water.
Price: Ayam Pearled Barley (450g), $2.35
Nutritional value: One cup (157g) of cooked pearled barley contains:
Calories: 193
Protein: 4g
Fat: 1g
Calcium: 17mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Carbohydrates: 44g Fast fact: There are two main types of barley, two-row barley and six-row barley. As two-row barley has a higher fermentable sugar content than six-row barley, it is more suited for brewing
POTATOES
The United Nations declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It is the plant's root tubers that are edible, while its fruits are toxic.
Price: five to six medium potatoes (around 800g), $1
Nutritional value: One baked potato, without skin (156g) contains:
Calories: 145
Protein: 3g
Fat: Trace amounts
Calcium: 8mg
Iron: 0.5mg
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fast fact: In 1995, potato plants were taken into space on the space shuttle Columbia. This marked the first time any food was grown in space.
PASTA
Pasta, an Italian staple, is cut from a flour, water and/or egg dough. There are approximately 350 different forms of pasta, including spaghetti and macaroni
Price: Zara Pasta - No. 3 Spaghetti (500g), $2.15
Nutritional value: One cup (140g) of cooked enriched spaghetti contains:
Calories: 197
Protein: 7g
Fat: 1g
Calcium: 10mg
Iron: 2mg
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fast fact: The American Pasta Report says cheese (37 per cent) was the favourite accompaniment to pasta, followed by meat (32 per cent), vegetables (31 per cent) and seafood (20 per cent)
BREAD
A staple in many parts of the world, it is commonly made from wheat flour
Price: FairPrice Enriched White Bread (400g), $1.15
Nutritional value: Five slices (125g) of untoasted white bread contain:
Calories: 335
Protein: 10g
Fat: 5g
Calcium: 135mg
Iron: 3.5mg
Carbohydrates: 60g
Fast fact: To bakers and culinary professionals, the inner soft white part of a loaf of bread is known as the "crumb".
All prices (except potatoes) from NTUC FairPrice Online accessed on May 6. Potato prices: from Sheng Siong Supermarket on May 7. Nutritional values from the United States Department of Agriculture.
