1 00:00:01,585 --> 00:00:03,670 - [Narrator] Today, people eat 4.6 million 2 00:00:03,670 --> 00:00:05,714 tons of rice a year. 3 00:00:07,758 --> 00:00:12,763 And rice is part of a $448 billion convenience food market. 4 00:00:12,763 --> 00:00:16,391 - Convenience foods was really born out of a movement 5 00:00:16,391 --> 00:00:19,686 toward modernity and newness. 6 00:00:19,686 --> 00:00:21,563 Everything was just getting easier. 7 00:00:21,563 --> 00:00:23,190 - A lot of these convenience foods, 8 00:00:23,190 --> 00:00:24,733 like these rice products, 9 00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:27,569 opened up the world of multicultural cuisine 10 00:00:27,569 --> 00:00:29,029 to the American palate. 11 00:00:29,029 --> 00:00:31,823 It made anything available and easy to cook. 12 00:00:32,783 --> 00:00:34,952 - [Narrator] But just over a hundred years ago, 13 00:00:34,952 --> 00:00:37,538 Americans barely ate rice. 14 00:00:37,538 --> 00:00:39,873 - People thought it was, like, an exotic product. 15 00:00:39,873 --> 00:00:41,333 - Something foreign. 16 00:00:41,333 --> 00:00:43,919 Maybe they're a little intimidated by making rice. 17 00:00:43,919 --> 00:00:46,296 - [Narrator] It'll take a massive global conflict... 18 00:00:46,296 --> 00:00:49,049 - The US Army just placed a pretty large order. 19 00:00:49,049 --> 00:00:50,759 - How large? 20 00:00:50,759 --> 00:00:52,427 - 400 million pounds. 21 00:00:52,427 --> 00:00:55,264 - [Narrator] And a race in innovation and marketing... 22 00:00:55,264 --> 00:00:57,641 - What our rice needs is a new identity. 23 00:00:59,142 --> 00:01:02,479 - This is their key selling point, cooks in 20 minutes. 24 00:01:02,479 --> 00:01:04,105 - Uncle Ben's rice tells housewives 25 00:01:04,105 --> 00:01:06,441 that rice doesn't have to be a chore anymore. 26 00:01:06,441 --> 00:01:09,278 - And what we need to do is sell her on convenience. 27 00:01:09,278 --> 00:01:11,863 - We're talking about the race against time 28 00:01:11,863 --> 00:01:13,991 to figure out how to make rice 29 00:01:13,991 --> 00:01:15,701 the food that everybody needed, 30 00:01:15,701 --> 00:01:18,579 and take a food, man, that was a staple in one land 31 00:01:18,579 --> 00:01:20,622 and make it a staple in America as well. 32 00:01:20,622 --> 00:01:23,250 - Two cups of water, one cup of rice, 20 minutes, let's eat. 33 00:01:23,250 --> 00:01:26,837 - In the 1950s, that was blazingly fast. 34 00:01:26,837 --> 00:01:28,630 - [Narrator] Competitors rise... 35 00:01:28,630 --> 00:01:30,173 - Ours cooks in five. 36 00:01:30,173 --> 00:01:31,675 - That's how we win. 37 00:01:31,675 --> 00:01:33,510 [dramatic music] 38 00:01:33,510 --> 00:01:36,388 - [Narrator] And new American classics are born. 39 00:01:36,388 --> 00:01:38,098 - This is one of the greatest examples 40 00:01:38,098 --> 00:01:40,767 of expert branding there ever was. 41 00:01:40,767 --> 00:01:44,938 - Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco treat. 42 00:01:44,938 --> 00:01:48,692 - [Narrator] Turning an ancient grain into a modern marvel. 43 00:01:48,692 --> 00:01:53,655 - Rice alone accounts for 5% of America's caloric intake. 44 00:01:53,655 --> 00:01:56,700 It's more than potatoes, it's more than pasta. 45 00:01:56,700 --> 00:01:58,702 I mean, that's huge. 46 00:01:58,702 --> 00:02:01,955 [dramatic music] 47 00:02:01,955 --> 00:02:07,085 [dramatic music] 48 00:02:13,634 --> 00:02:19,014 [dramatic music continues] 49 00:02:22,643 --> 00:02:24,144 - [Narrator] One of humanity's oldest 50 00:02:24,144 --> 00:02:25,979 and most important crops, 51 00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:29,524 rice was first cultivated in West Africa and China 52 00:02:29,524 --> 00:02:31,902 more than 9,000 years ago. 53 00:02:31,902 --> 00:02:34,488 - In Asia, it's known as not only a food source 54 00:02:34,488 --> 00:02:35,947 but a cultural symbol. 55 00:02:35,947 --> 00:02:37,366 And in Africa, 56 00:02:37,366 --> 00:02:40,035 it was part of these really sophisticated irrigation 57 00:02:40,035 --> 00:02:42,329 and farming systems that were in place 58 00:02:42,329 --> 00:02:45,082 long before Europeans ever reached the continent. 59 00:02:45,082 --> 00:02:47,167 - Rice shows up in the Americas 60 00:02:47,167 --> 00:02:49,753 primarily because of enslaved Africans 61 00:02:49,753 --> 00:02:51,004 who were from West Africa, 62 00:02:51,004 --> 00:02:52,964 where there is an indigenous rice culture. 63 00:02:52,964 --> 00:02:55,384 - West African slaves have knowledge of irrigation 64 00:02:55,384 --> 00:02:56,843 and cultivation practices, 65 00:02:56,843 --> 00:02:58,637 and they really helped to make rice 66 00:02:58,637 --> 00:03:01,181 a productive export for American planters. 67 00:03:01,181 --> 00:03:02,849 - [Narrator] Due to its climate needs, 68 00:03:02,849 --> 00:03:06,311 rice production in America is limited to the South. 69 00:03:06,311 --> 00:03:08,021 - While there's a lot of rice being grown, 70 00:03:08,021 --> 00:03:10,857 most of it is being exported to Europe. 71 00:03:10,857 --> 00:03:13,360 It's really something that most Americans 72 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,488 are not eating regularly, if at all. 73 00:03:16,488 --> 00:03:19,449 It's something that is seen as being in the South, 74 00:03:19,449 --> 00:03:21,159 that immigrants eat this, 75 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:24,830 or descendants of enslaved people eat this. 76 00:03:24,830 --> 00:03:27,082 - [Narrator] In the 1800s, at its peak, 77 00:03:27,082 --> 00:03:31,336 rice cultivation reached over 200 million pounds per year. 78 00:03:31,336 --> 00:03:34,339 - Rice became the single most valuable crop 79 00:03:34,339 --> 00:03:36,716 coming out of the American colonies. 80 00:03:36,716 --> 00:03:38,844 Why was it so valuable? 81 00:03:38,844 --> 00:03:40,345 No labor costs. 82 00:03:40,345 --> 00:03:43,432 Rice relied heavily on slave labor. 83 00:03:43,432 --> 00:03:44,975 - Once we get to the emancipation, 84 00:03:44,975 --> 00:03:47,602 when enslaved African Americans no longer 85 00:03:47,602 --> 00:03:48,895 are forced to do this work, 86 00:03:48,895 --> 00:03:50,730 you don't have the labor force 87 00:03:50,730 --> 00:03:53,150 to really keep rice farming going. 88 00:03:53,150 --> 00:03:54,693 - [Narrator] After emancipation, 89 00:03:54,693 --> 00:03:59,114 production drops from 200 million to 73 million pounds. 90 00:03:59,114 --> 00:04:02,909 And by the 1920s, rice is almost a forgotten grain 91 00:04:02,909 --> 00:04:04,453 in most of the US. 92 00:04:04,453 --> 00:04:06,997 - It's really Southerners and immigrants 93 00:04:06,997 --> 00:04:08,665 who are strongly associated with rice 94 00:04:08,665 --> 00:04:11,042 and some of the famous rice dishes in our country, 95 00:04:11,042 --> 00:04:12,794 like jambalaya. 96 00:04:12,794 --> 00:04:15,088 - One place that rice was consumed 97 00:04:15,088 --> 00:04:18,216 is in the recent popularity of Chinese food. 98 00:04:18,216 --> 00:04:19,676 Still is a niche, 99 00:04:19,676 --> 00:04:22,554 but this was the most popular foreign cuisine 100 00:04:22,554 --> 00:04:25,766 in the United States already before the Second World War. 101 00:04:25,766 --> 00:04:27,476 - The US's population at that point 102 00:04:27,476 --> 00:04:29,853 had a preference for potatoes and pasta, 103 00:04:29,853 --> 00:04:31,646 and rice just wasn't very high on the list. 104 00:04:31,646 --> 00:04:33,440 [dramatic music] 105 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:34,983 [rhythmic music] 106 00:04:35,150 --> 00:04:37,444 - [Narrator] But for immigrants who were raised on rice, 107 00:04:37,444 --> 00:04:38,779 it's a taste of home. 108 00:04:41,031 --> 00:04:42,365 - There we are, my friend. 109 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,038 - Ataullah Ozai-Durrani actually came 110 00:04:48,038 --> 00:04:50,540 from quite a wealthy Afghan family. 111 00:04:50,540 --> 00:04:54,044 And he left the country, found himself in England, 112 00:04:54,044 --> 00:04:56,588 where he studied petrochemistry for a while. 113 00:04:56,588 --> 00:04:59,508 One thing led to another, he ends up in the United States, 114 00:04:59,508 --> 00:05:01,635 - And even though he's made loads of friends, 115 00:05:01,635 --> 00:05:04,137 he has not found a lot of work. 116 00:05:04,137 --> 00:05:07,057 - So kind of was looking for something else to do. 117 00:05:07,057 --> 00:05:09,810 - I couldn't tell you the last time I had rice. 118 00:05:09,810 --> 00:05:11,311 - But what he does love doing 119 00:05:11,311 --> 00:05:13,814 is sharing the flavors of his native Afghanistan 120 00:05:13,814 --> 00:05:15,315 with his newfound friends. 121 00:05:15,315 --> 00:05:18,193 And he makes them meals all the time. 122 00:05:18,193 --> 00:05:19,277 - You never cook rice? 123 00:05:20,362 --> 00:05:22,948 - Nah, never seems worth the hassle. 124 00:05:24,115 --> 00:05:26,535 - It was perceived as an inconvenient product 125 00:05:26,535 --> 00:05:29,246 by people who weren't sort of raised 126 00:05:29,246 --> 00:05:32,499 in a tradition of rice as their major staple. 127 00:05:32,499 --> 00:05:34,501 - There's an artistry to cooking rice. 128 00:05:34,501 --> 00:05:38,296 It does take time, usually 45 minutes or so, 129 00:05:38,296 --> 00:05:40,507 and you have to pay attention to it. 130 00:05:40,507 --> 00:05:42,050 - You can burn it super easily. 131 00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:44,219 You can spend an hour making it 132 00:05:44,219 --> 00:05:46,012 and then you realize you added too much water 133 00:05:46,012 --> 00:05:47,430 and it's this disgusting mush, 134 00:05:47,430 --> 00:05:49,641 and you've wasted your time and money. 135 00:05:51,601 --> 00:05:56,606 - Mm, no, really, you gotta sell this stuff. [chuckles] 136 00:06:01,236 --> 00:06:04,030 [dramatic music] 137 00:06:04,030 --> 00:06:05,282 - [Narrator] The suggestion 138 00:06:05,282 --> 00:06:07,742 plants the seed of an idea for Durrani. 139 00:06:08,910 --> 00:06:11,204 It's an idea which will one day transform 140 00:06:11,204 --> 00:06:15,125 the way Americans cook, consume, and think about rice, 141 00:06:15,125 --> 00:06:19,921 turning it from a foreign food to a $4 billion US industry. 142 00:06:21,256 --> 00:06:25,385 But first, he has to make rice appeal to Americans. 143 00:06:25,385 --> 00:06:28,346 [rhythmic music] 144 00:06:28,346 --> 00:06:31,683 Durrani begins round the clock research. 145 00:06:31,683 --> 00:06:33,852 - Durrani realizes that he just has to make it 146 00:06:33,852 --> 00:06:35,770 less of a hassle for people to cook. 147 00:06:37,355 --> 00:06:39,149 - His strategy is to find a way 148 00:06:39,149 --> 00:06:41,443 to package ready-cooked rice 149 00:06:41,443 --> 00:06:44,154 that just needs to be heated up and still tastes fresh. 150 00:06:44,154 --> 00:06:46,698 But that turns out to be far more challenging 151 00:06:46,698 --> 00:06:48,575 than he expects. 152 00:06:48,575 --> 00:06:50,660 - You don't want the rice to be too mushy. 153 00:06:50,660 --> 00:06:52,495 You want the grains to be fluffy. 154 00:06:52,495 --> 00:06:53,955 You want them to be separate. 155 00:06:53,955 --> 00:06:57,250 It was not something that was fast food, for sure. 156 00:06:58,752 --> 00:07:01,087 - He's tried jarring it, and bagging it, and canning it, 157 00:07:03,256 --> 00:07:05,050 and nothing has worked. 158 00:07:05,050 --> 00:07:07,010 [dramatic music] 159 00:07:07,010 --> 00:07:08,928 - [Narrator] Every time the rice gets reheated, 160 00:07:08,928 --> 00:07:13,183 it breaks down, becoming soft, mushy, and overcooked. 161 00:07:16,144 --> 00:07:17,729 - [Adrian] This takes years of testing. 162 00:07:17,729 --> 00:07:20,732 It wasn't something that he immediately found a solution to. 163 00:07:20,732 --> 00:07:24,486 - [Narrator] Finally, in 1939, Durrani has a realization 164 00:07:24,486 --> 00:07:27,030 that there's one thing he's not yet tried. 165 00:07:28,239 --> 00:07:31,117 - [Adam] Durrani realizes he could apply the same principle 166 00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:34,204 behind dried fruit to rice. 167 00:07:34,204 --> 00:07:36,623 - [Narrator] Rather than just packaging the cooked rice, 168 00:07:36,623 --> 00:07:38,750 he can dehydrate it. 169 00:07:38,750 --> 00:07:41,920 - He does this by blowing warm air over the rice grains 170 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,673 after they're fully cooked to start drying out the surface. 171 00:07:44,673 --> 00:07:46,299 - [Adam] What he's ultimately doing 172 00:07:46,299 --> 00:07:50,220 is creating little air pockets inside of the rice, 173 00:07:50,220 --> 00:07:52,722 so when it's reintroduced to water, 174 00:07:52,722 --> 00:07:55,475 the water rushes in to fill those gaps, 175 00:07:55,475 --> 00:08:00,313 leaving behind fluffy, delicious, fully cooked rice. 176 00:08:00,313 --> 00:08:03,066 - This brings the cooking time down to five minutes. 177 00:08:03,066 --> 00:08:04,442 - All people will have to do 178 00:08:04,442 --> 00:08:06,403 is add hot water to reconstitute it 179 00:08:06,403 --> 00:08:09,322 and they'll be able to cook rice in a fraction of the time. 180 00:08:10,699 --> 00:08:11,700 - [Narrator] But creating the product 181 00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:13,118 is only half the battle. 182 00:08:14,035 --> 00:08:15,829 He also needs to sell it. 183 00:08:15,829 --> 00:08:18,415 [dramatic music] 184 00:08:18,415 --> 00:08:21,793 - Durrani says to himself, I'm gonna go to General Foods 185 00:08:21,793 --> 00:08:24,421 and do a demo right in their office 186 00:08:24,421 --> 00:08:27,048 and show them how I can make rice 187 00:08:27,048 --> 00:08:29,718 in just a matter of minutes. 188 00:08:29,718 --> 00:08:31,678 - [Edward] General Foods can trace 189 00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:33,888 its origins back to C. W. Post. 190 00:08:33,888 --> 00:08:35,890 They started out as a cereal company, 191 00:08:35,890 --> 00:08:38,308 but then when C. W. Post passed away, 192 00:08:38,308 --> 00:08:40,186 his daughter took over the company. 193 00:08:40,186 --> 00:08:42,230 She really was a pioneer 194 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:46,609 in the conglomeration of food businesses. 195 00:08:46,609 --> 00:08:49,237 - But the real transformation for General Foods 196 00:08:49,237 --> 00:08:51,489 happens in the 1920s, 197 00:08:51,489 --> 00:08:54,075 when, under President Clarence Francis, 198 00:08:54,075 --> 00:08:56,745 they start buying up promising food companies. 199 00:08:56,745 --> 00:08:58,038 - General Foods quite honestly 200 00:08:58,038 --> 00:08:59,914 wasn't looking for a rice product, 201 00:08:59,914 --> 00:09:02,000 but Durrani goes in there pitching them 202 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,211 that America needs a quick-cooking rice product, 203 00:09:05,211 --> 00:09:07,589 and this is something that people will buy. 204 00:09:08,923 --> 00:09:10,884 - I have here my ready-cooked rice. 205 00:09:10,884 --> 00:09:13,303 - So Durrani comes into the offices, 206 00:09:13,303 --> 00:09:17,307 bringing his rice, some water, and a portable burner. 207 00:09:17,307 --> 00:09:20,060 [dramatic music] 208 00:09:21,644 --> 00:09:23,938 - They're skeptical, but Durrani is telling 'em 209 00:09:23,938 --> 00:09:27,108 that his rice can be cooked in just a few minutes. 210 00:09:28,276 --> 00:09:29,944 - And so he's saying, "I'm offering you rice, 211 00:09:29,944 --> 00:09:32,238 which you may view as complex, 212 00:09:32,238 --> 00:09:33,948 but we're gonna cut that cooking time 213 00:09:33,948 --> 00:09:36,367 and we're gonna really embrace it." 214 00:09:36,367 --> 00:09:39,245 [dramatic music] 215 00:09:52,592 --> 00:09:55,095 - [Edward] And his demo was cooking the rice 216 00:09:55,095 --> 00:09:56,679 right there in front of them. 217 00:09:57,722 --> 00:10:00,767 And it was ready in just a few minutes. 218 00:10:00,767 --> 00:10:03,520 - So this was revolutionary. 219 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:06,106 [dramatic music] 220 00:10:06,106 --> 00:10:07,649 - Please, try a sample. 221 00:10:22,622 --> 00:10:24,082 - That's a hell of a trick. 222 00:10:24,082 --> 00:10:25,458 - It's almost like magic. 223 00:10:25,458 --> 00:10:28,044 They see what Durrani sees. 224 00:10:28,044 --> 00:10:32,132 They realize that you can turn rice into an everyday food. 225 00:10:32,132 --> 00:10:34,843 - [Adrian] We get the same flavor, we get the same texture, 226 00:10:34,843 --> 00:10:37,220 even though we're not cooking it for hours. 227 00:10:37,220 --> 00:10:39,597 And we get that dish in a short period of time, 228 00:10:39,597 --> 00:10:40,974 and that's a miracle. 229 00:10:40,974 --> 00:10:42,600 - [Narrator] General Foods purchases the patent 230 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,019 for Durrani's five minute cooking process 231 00:10:45,019 --> 00:10:46,813 for several million dollars, 232 00:10:46,813 --> 00:10:49,232 making the inventor instantly wealthy. 233 00:10:49,232 --> 00:10:50,441 - [Adrian] They buy it from him. 234 00:10:50,441 --> 00:10:52,402 But your typical homemakers 235 00:10:52,402 --> 00:10:55,446 think of rice as something exotic, something foreign. 236 00:10:55,446 --> 00:10:57,949 Maybe they're a little intimidated by making rice. 237 00:10:57,949 --> 00:11:00,660 So General Foods never even put it on the market 238 00:11:00,660 --> 00:11:03,079 even though they've got a faster way to make rice. 239 00:11:03,079 --> 00:11:06,166 - That decision in retrospect seems insane. 240 00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:07,458 [explosion banging] 241 00:11:07,458 --> 00:11:10,170 - [Narrator] But then on December 7th, 1941, 242 00:11:10,170 --> 00:11:11,921 Pearl Harbor is bombed 243 00:11:11,921 --> 00:11:14,883 and the United States officially enters World War II, 244 00:11:14,883 --> 00:11:17,802 instantly creating a new urgent market. 245 00:11:17,802 --> 00:11:19,387 - The government understood 246 00:11:19,387 --> 00:11:22,682 that food plays an important role in not only the nutrition 247 00:11:22,682 --> 00:11:25,018 but also the morale of the soldiers. 248 00:11:25,018 --> 00:11:28,146 And so they put out the word to American companies 249 00:11:28,146 --> 00:11:31,941 to figure out ways to come up with new foods 250 00:11:31,941 --> 00:11:36,196 that will travel well and will have good nutrition. 251 00:11:36,196 --> 00:11:38,406 - [Adam] The government is spending a lot of money 252 00:11:38,406 --> 00:11:40,366 to feed its fighting forces, 253 00:11:40,366 --> 00:11:42,994 which leaves a lot of money to be made 254 00:11:42,994 --> 00:11:44,746 by food entrepreneurs. 255 00:11:44,746 --> 00:11:47,373 - [Edward] General Foods realize that Durrani's rice 256 00:11:47,373 --> 00:11:51,336 is something that can be used for the army effort. 257 00:11:51,336 --> 00:11:53,796 And, you know, if you landed a government contract, 258 00:11:53,796 --> 00:11:55,548 that was very lucrative for you. 259 00:11:55,548 --> 00:11:57,842 - Durrani gave us this template. 260 00:11:57,842 --> 00:11:59,052 Let's run with it. 261 00:11:59,052 --> 00:12:00,637 - [Adrian] And the US army tried it out 262 00:12:00,637 --> 00:12:02,889 and they realized that this is a viable product. 263 00:12:02,889 --> 00:12:04,015 And then before you know it, 264 00:12:04,015 --> 00:12:06,184 millions of pounds of this rice 265 00:12:06,184 --> 00:12:08,645 are now being sent to our troops around the world. 266 00:12:09,812 --> 00:12:11,731 [dramatic music] 267 00:12:11,731 --> 00:12:14,234 - [Narrator] But in London, an American businessman 268 00:12:14,234 --> 00:12:18,071 is about to become General Foods' fiercest rival. 269 00:12:18,071 --> 00:12:19,405 - Forrest Mars was the son 270 00:12:19,405 --> 00:12:21,574 of famous chocolatier Frank Mars. 271 00:12:21,574 --> 00:12:23,243 - Now he had a falling out with his father. 272 00:12:23,243 --> 00:12:26,871 So at the time of World War II, he was actually in Europe. 273 00:12:26,871 --> 00:12:30,667 - [Edward] He is driven, very smart, he's an entrepreneur, 274 00:12:30,667 --> 00:12:35,255 and he feels that Europe is an untapped market. 275 00:12:35,255 --> 00:12:36,464 - [Narrator] Mars has set out 276 00:12:36,464 --> 00:12:38,341 to start his own chocolate business 277 00:12:38,341 --> 00:12:40,051 to compete with his father's, 278 00:12:40,051 --> 00:12:42,512 and he's just secured a military contract 279 00:12:42,512 --> 00:12:47,600 for a new type of candy he calls M&M's. 280 00:12:48,726 --> 00:12:51,145 - It was chocolate that doesn't melt. 281 00:12:51,145 --> 00:12:53,523 - M&M's fit the bill for making rations better 282 00:12:53,523 --> 00:12:55,149 and to actually give these soldiers 283 00:12:55,149 --> 00:12:57,568 something they can kind of look forward to in the field. 284 00:12:57,568 --> 00:13:01,197 - So now, with his government contract to supply M&M's 285 00:13:01,197 --> 00:13:03,783 to the fighting forces, he thinks, 286 00:13:03,783 --> 00:13:06,160 what else could I make money on? 287 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:07,578 - [Narrator] What he doesn't realize 288 00:13:07,578 --> 00:13:09,747 is he's about to lead a food revolution 289 00:13:09,747 --> 00:13:11,708 that has nothing to do with chocolate, 290 00:13:13,042 --> 00:13:16,296 launching a $34 billion industry 291 00:13:16,296 --> 00:13:19,257 and creating one of the most iconic food brands 292 00:13:19,257 --> 00:13:20,425 of the century. 293 00:13:25,847 --> 00:13:27,765 - [Narrator] Forrest Mars just made a deal 294 00:13:27,765 --> 00:13:29,642 to supply the US army 295 00:13:29,642 --> 00:13:33,229 with his new candy-coated chocolates, M&M's. 296 00:13:33,229 --> 00:13:36,774 - Sue, did you get those reports on the other rations? 297 00:13:38,318 --> 00:13:39,527 - It took some digging. 298 00:13:41,279 --> 00:13:43,656 - [Narrator] And now he's eager to find more products 299 00:13:43,656 --> 00:13:45,533 he can sell to the military. 300 00:13:46,868 --> 00:13:50,038 - Ah, Hershey's got their D-Ration bar. 301 00:13:51,164 --> 00:13:53,541 - As much as Forrest Mars is a chocolate guy, 302 00:13:53,541 --> 00:13:56,961 he is first and foremost a businessman. 303 00:13:56,961 --> 00:13:59,672 And there's a lot of competition in the chocolate space, 304 00:13:59,672 --> 00:14:02,633 but he realizes that the World War 305 00:14:02,633 --> 00:14:06,637 really has left a massive opportunity 306 00:14:06,637 --> 00:14:08,723 for a food manufacturer. 307 00:14:10,099 --> 00:14:11,517 - Pre-cooked rice. 308 00:14:17,106 --> 00:14:19,859 [dramatic music] 309 00:14:22,361 --> 00:14:24,238 Find out everything you can about it. 310 00:14:24,238 --> 00:14:26,282 - At this point, the best customer you could possibly get 311 00:14:26,282 --> 00:14:27,617 was the US Army. 312 00:14:27,617 --> 00:14:29,118 - Rice? 313 00:14:29,118 --> 00:14:31,120 - Yes, rice. 314 00:14:33,998 --> 00:14:35,333 - Mars is a fascinating guy 315 00:14:35,333 --> 00:14:36,959 'cause, you know, he's in the candy business, 316 00:14:36,959 --> 00:14:38,961 so he's known for candy bars and all these other things. 317 00:14:38,961 --> 00:14:41,714 - But now he wants to make a pivot into the rice business. 318 00:14:41,714 --> 00:14:43,257 It's not something you would think a candy maker 319 00:14:43,257 --> 00:14:45,510 would want to dive headfirst into. 320 00:14:45,510 --> 00:14:48,304 [dramatic music] 321 00:14:48,304 --> 00:14:49,555 - [Sue] Mr. Mars? 322 00:14:49,555 --> 00:14:52,558 That rice man is here. 323 00:14:52,558 --> 00:14:53,601 - Send him in. 324 00:14:53,601 --> 00:14:55,061 - [Narrator] After learning 325 00:14:55,061 --> 00:14:57,522 about General Foods' fast-cooking rice contract, 326 00:14:57,522 --> 00:15:00,274 Mars is determined to get his own. 327 00:15:00,274 --> 00:15:02,360 - [Adam] Forrest Mars has tracked down 328 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,362 a self- made inventor 329 00:15:04,362 --> 00:15:08,908 who has created a method to make rice cook faster. 330 00:15:08,908 --> 00:15:10,159 - [Eric] Erich Huzenlaub. 331 00:15:10,159 --> 00:15:13,704 - Dr. Huzenlaub, tell me about your rice. 332 00:15:13,704 --> 00:15:15,081 - [Narrator] Erich Huzenlaub 333 00:15:15,081 --> 00:15:17,333 is a German chemist living in London. 334 00:15:17,333 --> 00:15:19,752 - So Huzenlaub served in the German military, 335 00:15:19,752 --> 00:15:22,630 emigrated to London to escape the Nazis. 336 00:15:22,630 --> 00:15:25,049 - And ever since then, he is obsessed 337 00:15:25,049 --> 00:15:28,928 with trying to find a way to make rice cook more quickly. 338 00:15:28,928 --> 00:15:30,763 And he doesn't do this as a means 339 00:15:30,763 --> 00:15:32,849 of personal gain or innovation 340 00:15:32,849 --> 00:15:35,434 but as a means of ending famine, 341 00:15:35,434 --> 00:15:38,437 something that he saw an excessive amount of 342 00:15:38,437 --> 00:15:40,648 in the wake of a world war. 343 00:15:40,648 --> 00:15:42,817 - I call it converted rice. 344 00:15:42,817 --> 00:15:45,361 My process begins with steaming the grain 345 00:15:45,361 --> 00:15:47,613 while it's still within its protective husk. 346 00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:49,407 - How long does it take to cook? 347 00:15:50,366 --> 00:15:51,576 - 20 minutes. 348 00:15:51,576 --> 00:15:54,370 Less than half the time of typical rice. 349 00:15:54,370 --> 00:15:56,497 - So he's somebody who's experimenting with rice 350 00:15:56,497 --> 00:15:58,916 and he figures out a process called parboiling. 351 00:15:58,916 --> 00:16:01,961 He's partially cooking the rice 352 00:16:01,961 --> 00:16:04,297 before actually packaging it. 353 00:16:04,297 --> 00:16:06,299 This greatly reduces the cooking time. 354 00:16:06,299 --> 00:16:08,801 - The biggest difference between what Huzenlaub 355 00:16:08,801 --> 00:16:10,553 and Durrani are presenting 356 00:16:10,553 --> 00:16:13,639 is that Huzenlaub's is parboiled, 357 00:16:13,639 --> 00:16:15,600 which is partially cooked, 358 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,853 while Durrani's is entirely cooked and dried. 359 00:16:18,853 --> 00:16:21,522 - Unfortunately, in Durrani's process, 360 00:16:21,522 --> 00:16:23,733 rice has lost a lot of its nutrients 361 00:16:23,733 --> 00:16:25,943 and a lot of it's sort of fluffiness. 362 00:16:25,943 --> 00:16:27,361 - And how does it taste? 363 00:16:27,361 --> 00:16:30,281 [dramatic music] 364 00:16:32,867 --> 00:16:34,327 - See for yourself. 365 00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:51,677 [dramatic music] 366 00:16:51,677 --> 00:16:54,722 - Huzenlaub's method preserves more of the nutrients 367 00:16:54,722 --> 00:16:59,185 and kind of results in a fluffier, tastier rice product. 368 00:17:05,566 --> 00:17:07,108 [dramatic music] 369 00:17:07,108 --> 00:17:09,694 Mars buys Huzenlaub's patent and they go into business, 370 00:17:09,694 --> 00:17:13,324 creating a company called Converted Rice Limited. 371 00:17:13,324 --> 00:17:14,407 - And so they were trying to figure out, 372 00:17:14,407 --> 00:17:15,660 how do we take Huzenlaub's method 373 00:17:15,660 --> 00:17:17,118 of creating quick-cooked rice 374 00:17:17,118 --> 00:17:18,496 and turn it into a product 375 00:17:18,496 --> 00:17:20,498 that could get us a really lucrative contract 376 00:17:20,498 --> 00:17:21,958 with the US military? 377 00:17:21,958 --> 00:17:24,794 - So the pitch basically was troops have to get fed, 378 00:17:24,794 --> 00:17:28,047 they have to have energy, they have to have nutrients, 379 00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:32,385 and the way we are presenting rice to you is perfect. 380 00:17:33,386 --> 00:17:34,512 - And it worked. 381 00:17:34,512 --> 00:17:37,515 [dramatic music] 382 00:17:37,515 --> 00:17:39,475 - [Narrator] Now with the military on board, 383 00:17:39,475 --> 00:17:42,520 Mars and Huzenlaub tracked down a rice source 384 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:43,854 back in the US. 385 00:17:43,854 --> 00:17:45,523 - At this point you need rice farmers. 386 00:17:45,523 --> 00:17:46,941 And one of the few places in America 387 00:17:46,941 --> 00:17:50,403 where you could still find them growing rice was Texas. 388 00:17:50,403 --> 00:17:51,612 - [Narrator] They team up 389 00:17:51,612 --> 00:17:55,032 with Texas rice broker Gordon Harwell. 390 00:17:55,032 --> 00:17:57,577 - Gordon Harwell spent his entire life 391 00:17:57,577 --> 00:18:00,538 working in kind of the brokerage 392 00:18:00,538 --> 00:18:03,583 and facilitating of rice. 393 00:18:03,583 --> 00:18:06,752 - A rice broker is kind of like a rice middleman 394 00:18:06,752 --> 00:18:09,755 between the growers and the producers. 395 00:18:09,755 --> 00:18:11,882 - [Narrator] But decades of dwindling demand 396 00:18:11,882 --> 00:18:15,886 has made business increasingly difficult for Harwell. 397 00:18:15,886 --> 00:18:18,764 - When he's contacted by Mars and Huzenlaub 398 00:18:18,764 --> 00:18:21,601 about how they need rice and this innovation that they have, 399 00:18:21,601 --> 00:18:23,936 he is very eager to agree. 400 00:18:23,936 --> 00:18:26,772 - [Narrator] But he has no idea just how much rice 401 00:18:26,772 --> 00:18:28,357 Mars is looking for. 402 00:18:28,357 --> 00:18:31,652 - The US Army just placed a pretty large order. 403 00:18:31,652 --> 00:18:32,486 - How large? 404 00:18:33,779 --> 00:18:35,698 - 400 million pounds. 405 00:18:35,698 --> 00:18:38,034 [dramatic music] 406 00:18:38,034 --> 00:18:42,747 - So for perspective, 400 million pounds is enough rice 407 00:18:42,747 --> 00:18:46,917 to fill 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 408 00:18:46,917 --> 00:18:48,919 - [Kate] Mars has promised the American government 409 00:18:48,919 --> 00:18:51,881 that he can give them a ton of rice. 410 00:18:51,881 --> 00:18:54,592 And if he can't fulfill that promise, 411 00:18:54,592 --> 00:18:56,844 he can kiss his business goodbye. 412 00:18:56,844 --> 00:18:58,471 - For when? 413 00:18:58,471 --> 00:18:59,388 - Immediately. 414 00:19:05,186 --> 00:19:06,103 - [Narrator] With a monumental order 415 00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:07,563 from the government looming, 416 00:19:07,563 --> 00:19:10,941 Harwell and Huzenlaub get to work sourcing rice, 417 00:19:10,941 --> 00:19:14,987 while Mars pours money into setting up factories in the US. 418 00:19:14,987 --> 00:19:16,906 - He thinks that by investing most of his money 419 00:19:16,906 --> 00:19:18,991 into something that's profitable right now, 420 00:19:18,991 --> 00:19:20,785 he can start to make a return. 421 00:19:20,785 --> 00:19:23,287 - [Narrator] Soon, Mars' Converted Rice company 422 00:19:23,287 --> 00:19:28,417 is producing 200 tons of rice per day for troops overseas. 423 00:19:28,626 --> 00:19:30,336 - And it's a staggering amount of rice 424 00:19:30,336 --> 00:19:32,129 and met some important needs 425 00:19:32,129 --> 00:19:35,424 because food was an ongoing problem during World War II. 426 00:19:35,424 --> 00:19:38,803 So anything that would essentially alleviate hunger 427 00:19:38,803 --> 00:19:39,762 was welcome. 428 00:19:39,762 --> 00:19:41,847 - [Narrator] And then in 1945, 429 00:19:41,847 --> 00:19:44,350 with the surrender of Germany and Japan, 430 00:19:44,350 --> 00:19:47,186 the Second World War is officially over. 431 00:19:47,186 --> 00:19:49,814 - So of course everyone's glad that the war is over, 432 00:19:49,814 --> 00:19:52,441 but the reality is that the world looks a lot different 433 00:19:52,441 --> 00:19:53,693 after the war. 434 00:19:53,693 --> 00:19:54,944 - [Narrator] The end of the war 435 00:19:54,944 --> 00:19:56,779 means the end of military contracts 436 00:19:56,779 --> 00:19:59,198 for Mars and General Foods. 437 00:20:00,574 --> 00:20:02,159 - When the war is over, 438 00:20:02,159 --> 00:20:06,122 General Foods sort of ceases their instant rice operations. 439 00:20:06,122 --> 00:20:08,332 They thought there was no market for it. 440 00:20:08,332 --> 00:20:11,001 - At this time still, rice was not something 441 00:20:11,001 --> 00:20:13,003 that was really popular across the country. 442 00:20:13,003 --> 00:20:16,048 It was still associated with immigrant cuisines 443 00:20:16,048 --> 00:20:18,718 and then also the American South. 444 00:20:18,718 --> 00:20:20,177 - [Narrator] But for Forrest Mars, 445 00:20:20,177 --> 00:20:21,887 shuttering his rice operation 446 00:20:21,887 --> 00:20:24,473 would be devastating to his young business. 447 00:20:24,473 --> 00:20:29,562 - So the war ends and Forrest Mars has a significant surplus 448 00:20:30,646 --> 00:20:33,691 of millions and millions of pounds of rice 449 00:20:33,691 --> 00:20:35,192 just sitting there. 450 00:20:35,192 --> 00:20:36,861 And he has to figure out what to do 451 00:20:36,861 --> 00:20:40,322 with all of the rice that he has on hand. 452 00:20:40,322 --> 00:20:42,616 - [Narrator] With a rapidly modernizing country, 453 00:20:42,616 --> 00:20:46,162 Mars sees a growing trend in American homes. 454 00:20:46,162 --> 00:20:49,790 - The United States in post-World War times 455 00:20:49,790 --> 00:20:51,709 was starting to speed up. 456 00:20:51,709 --> 00:20:53,669 Industry needed workers 457 00:20:53,669 --> 00:20:56,756 and women started to enter the workforce. 458 00:20:56,756 --> 00:20:59,884 Things like dinners needed to be made faster. 459 00:20:59,884 --> 00:21:01,469 But, you know, housewives and mothers 460 00:21:01,469 --> 00:21:03,596 were still interested in making sure 461 00:21:03,596 --> 00:21:06,015 that what they were providing was nutritious. 462 00:21:06,015 --> 00:21:07,725 - Americans have lived with austerity 463 00:21:07,725 --> 00:21:10,519 for so long during the war that once the war is over, 464 00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:12,813 they're hungry for new convenience items. 465 00:21:12,813 --> 00:21:14,565 - We're starting to see appliances 466 00:21:14,565 --> 00:21:17,026 such as the toaster, the blender. 467 00:21:17,026 --> 00:21:18,569 We're seeing refrigeration. 468 00:21:18,569 --> 00:21:19,904 - [Narrator] And with new technology 469 00:21:19,904 --> 00:21:22,948 comes a new market for convenience foods. 470 00:21:22,948 --> 00:21:25,493 - Everything from cakes, things like popcorn, 471 00:21:25,493 --> 00:21:27,995 breakfast, you know, all these things that used to be 472 00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:31,624 so labor intensive were now gonna be easy. 473 00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:33,250 - [Narrator] And Mars is determined 474 00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:36,128 to be a trailblazer in this new frontier 475 00:21:36,128 --> 00:21:39,465 by selling his rice to the American public. 476 00:21:39,465 --> 00:21:41,926 - Sending our rice to troops in the battlefield 477 00:21:41,926 --> 00:21:43,469 is one thing, 478 00:21:43,469 --> 00:21:46,096 selling it to housewives in the supermarket is another. 479 00:21:47,431 --> 00:21:49,225 - Mars realized that the actual decision maker 480 00:21:49,225 --> 00:21:50,601 in a lot of these growing families 481 00:21:50,601 --> 00:21:52,394 was going to be the housewife or the mother. 482 00:21:52,394 --> 00:21:53,854 And they had to find a way to convince them 483 00:21:53,854 --> 00:21:55,439 that this was a good product. 484 00:21:55,439 --> 00:21:58,317 - He has to take something that was a wartime ration 485 00:21:58,317 --> 00:22:02,071 and turn it into a piece of a cozy home-cooked meal. 486 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:07,660 - Tell me, does this name inspire anyone? 487 00:22:07,660 --> 00:22:10,037 Would a housewife in Des Moines pull this off the shelf? 488 00:22:10,037 --> 00:22:11,539 [dramatic music] 489 00:22:11,539 --> 00:22:13,499 - [Edward] So Huzenlaub is a scientist, 490 00:22:13,499 --> 00:22:15,543 Harwell is a businessman, 491 00:22:15,543 --> 00:22:19,296 but it is Mars that is actually the marketing savvy. 492 00:22:19,296 --> 00:22:21,966 - We're never going to attract housewives 493 00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:24,468 on some war time chemistry experiment. 494 00:22:24,468 --> 00:22:27,596 What we need to do is sell her on convenience, 495 00:22:27,596 --> 00:22:31,433 nutrients, and most of all, on a brand she can trust. 496 00:22:32,601 --> 00:22:36,564 Converted Rice won't cut it. 497 00:22:36,564 --> 00:22:40,276 What our rice needs is a new identity. 498 00:22:41,735 --> 00:22:43,988 - [Narrator] Mars believes he needs to change the perception 499 00:22:43,988 --> 00:22:46,824 that rice is a foreign food. 500 00:22:46,824 --> 00:22:49,201 - Mars says, "I am going to tap 501 00:22:49,201 --> 00:22:52,997 into good old American nostalgia of nutrition 502 00:22:52,997 --> 00:22:55,082 and a hearty, home-cooked meal. 503 00:22:55,082 --> 00:22:58,878 - Like, hey, we're taking you back into another time 504 00:22:58,878 --> 00:23:01,088 that's much less complicated than now. 505 00:23:01,088 --> 00:23:04,341 - [Narrator] In 1946, Mars' Converted Rice 506 00:23:04,341 --> 00:23:09,179 enters the marketplace with a new name, Uncle Ben's. 507 00:23:09,179 --> 00:23:11,307 - [Adrian] Historically, African Americans, 508 00:23:11,307 --> 00:23:13,100 especially enslaved African Americans, 509 00:23:13,100 --> 00:23:17,396 uncle and aunt was typically the nickname given to them. 510 00:23:17,396 --> 00:23:19,106 And then they were not given the full dignity 511 00:23:19,106 --> 00:23:21,525 to have their full names expressed. 512 00:23:21,525 --> 00:23:22,651 - Their marketing strategy 513 00:23:22,651 --> 00:23:24,236 was supposed to evoke the quality 514 00:23:24,236 --> 00:23:27,031 of really, really good Southern home cooking. 515 00:23:27,031 --> 00:23:28,824 - And so on the side of the carton 516 00:23:28,824 --> 00:23:31,076 was the image of a domestic servant 517 00:23:31,076 --> 00:23:32,536 who was African American. 518 00:23:32,536 --> 00:23:34,121 - It was ostensibly named 519 00:23:34,121 --> 00:23:36,415 after a Black rice farmer from Texas 520 00:23:36,415 --> 00:23:38,083 who was known to produce 521 00:23:38,083 --> 00:23:40,836 some of the best rice in the region. 522 00:23:40,836 --> 00:23:43,672 - [Narrator] But the man on the box is not a rice farmer 523 00:23:43,672 --> 00:23:46,050 and it's not Uncle Ben at all. 524 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:47,426 - The painting on the box 525 00:23:47,426 --> 00:23:49,595 is modeled after a man named Frank Brown, 526 00:23:49,595 --> 00:23:52,306 who was a Maitre d' in the city of Chicago. 527 00:23:52,306 --> 00:23:55,601 They used his likeness to be Uncle Ben. 528 00:23:58,062 --> 00:23:59,897 - So they had the branding they needed, 529 00:23:59,897 --> 00:24:01,607 and off to the races they were 530 00:24:01,607 --> 00:24:04,777 with the first quick-set rice to hit the market. 531 00:24:04,777 --> 00:24:07,154 - [Narrator] The instructions touted simplicity. 532 00:24:07,154 --> 00:24:10,199 - Two cups of water, one cup of rice, 20 minutes, let's eat. 533 00:24:10,199 --> 00:24:11,575 - Now, to you and me, 534 00:24:11,575 --> 00:24:13,369 that probably doesn't sound convenient. 535 00:24:13,369 --> 00:24:18,457 But in the 1950s, that was blazingly fast for rice. 536 00:24:18,457 --> 00:24:22,336 - There's also marketing campaigns that established rice 537 00:24:22,336 --> 00:24:25,839 as a nutritious supplement to the American diet. 538 00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:28,634 It's a convenient option for busy wives and mothers 539 00:24:28,634 --> 00:24:31,011 who wanna prepare a hearty meal for the family. 540 00:24:31,011 --> 00:24:32,763 - Uncle Ben's rice tells housewives 541 00:24:32,763 --> 00:24:35,182 that rice doesn't have to be a chore anymore. 542 00:24:35,182 --> 00:24:36,725 [dramatic music] 543 00:24:36,725 --> 00:24:39,603 - [Narrator] The campaign works, and for the first time, 544 00:24:39,603 --> 00:24:43,315 rice is at the center of America's dinner tables. 545 00:24:43,315 --> 00:24:46,193 - So Uncle Ben's was really heralded 546 00:24:46,193 --> 00:24:49,321 as quite an arrival in the grocery store aisle. 547 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:52,282 - [Narrator] But it doesn't go unnoticed by General Foods. 548 00:24:57,037 --> 00:24:58,664 - This should have been us. 549 00:24:58,664 --> 00:25:00,833 - We had quick rice first. 550 00:25:00,833 --> 00:25:03,085 - Once they see that Uncle Ben's is doing well, 551 00:25:03,085 --> 00:25:05,879 navigating the commercial landscape, 552 00:25:05,879 --> 00:25:08,882 they realized that there is very much a market 553 00:25:08,882 --> 00:25:10,718 for their quick rice product. 554 00:25:10,718 --> 00:25:13,721 - Uncle Ben's is raking in the money on a product 555 00:25:13,721 --> 00:25:16,348 that General Foods developed first. 556 00:25:16,348 --> 00:25:19,518 This is a colossal misstep for General Foods. 557 00:25:19,518 --> 00:25:22,980 - So General Foods realizes they need to adapt and change 558 00:25:22,980 --> 00:25:26,191 to beat Mars at the game they created. 559 00:25:26,191 --> 00:25:30,195 - This is their key selling point, cooks in 20 minutes. 560 00:25:30,988 --> 00:25:33,032 - Ours cooks in five. 561 00:25:33,032 --> 00:25:34,158 - [Executive] Exactly. 562 00:25:34,158 --> 00:25:35,367 [dramatic music] 563 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:37,995 - It really became a culinary arms race. 564 00:25:37,995 --> 00:25:40,122 - Sure, Uncle Ben's has created this rice 565 00:25:40,122 --> 00:25:42,332 that is profoundly nutritious and hearty 566 00:25:42,332 --> 00:25:46,003 and taps into the sort of home-cooked meal nostalgia, 567 00:25:46,003 --> 00:25:48,589 but General Foods has a rice 568 00:25:48,589 --> 00:25:51,091 that cooks four times as quickly. 569 00:25:51,091 --> 00:25:52,676 - That's how we win. 570 00:25:52,676 --> 00:25:55,554 [dramatic music] 571 00:25:59,516 --> 00:26:01,018 - [Narrator] Gearing up for battle with Uncle Ben's, 572 00:26:01,018 --> 00:26:02,978 General Foods is about to release 573 00:26:02,978 --> 00:26:05,397 their own fast-cooking rice. 574 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:07,816 - The agency sent over the mockups. 575 00:26:07,816 --> 00:26:10,778 [dramatic music] 576 00:26:12,362 --> 00:26:14,239 - [Executive] Five-minute rice. 577 00:26:14,239 --> 00:26:16,909 - It took five minutes to cook, but they thought, 578 00:26:16,909 --> 00:26:18,744 hmm, with this convenience 579 00:26:18,744 --> 00:26:20,287 being something important to the home cook, 580 00:26:20,287 --> 00:26:23,540 maybe we could come up with something that's catchier. 581 00:26:23,540 --> 00:26:24,833 - Why not... 582 00:26:31,715 --> 00:26:35,177 - Even if it didn't taste as good or as it was nutritious 583 00:26:35,177 --> 00:26:37,054 as maybe other things on the market, 584 00:26:37,054 --> 00:26:38,430 convenience was the factor 585 00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:41,266 that was really paramount to the home cook. 586 00:26:41,266 --> 00:26:42,434 - Let's go with that. 587 00:26:44,770 --> 00:26:48,565 - [Narrator] In 1946, General Foods' Minute Rice 588 00:26:48,565 --> 00:26:51,485 hits supermarket shelves across the country. 589 00:26:51,485 --> 00:26:54,071 - It basically takes a quarter of the time to cook this rice 590 00:26:54,071 --> 00:26:55,489 than it does to cook Uncle Ben's rice. 591 00:26:55,489 --> 00:26:57,991 - Minute Rice was also completely foolproof. 592 00:26:57,991 --> 00:26:59,910 All you have to do is add water. 593 00:26:59,910 --> 00:27:01,286 - But you have to remember, 594 00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:03,872 Uncle Ben's has essentially parboiled the rice, 595 00:27:03,872 --> 00:27:06,375 cooks it for 20 minutes, which means the customer 596 00:27:06,375 --> 00:27:08,752 has to cook it for the remaining 20. 597 00:27:08,752 --> 00:27:11,213 - [Narrator] General Foods puts out a commercial campaign 598 00:27:11,213 --> 00:27:14,800 using slogans that directly undercut Uncle Ben's, 599 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,595 with tag-lines like, "No other rice is this easy." 600 00:27:18,595 --> 00:27:22,266 - It's incredible, the idea of taking a product like rice, 601 00:27:22,266 --> 00:27:27,187 making it so simple that almost even a child could make. 602 00:27:27,187 --> 00:27:30,148 - It is eating into Uncle Ben's bottom line 603 00:27:30,148 --> 00:27:34,653 and market share, and it's eating at Forrest Mars. 604 00:27:38,782 --> 00:27:39,950 - Mr. Mars? 605 00:27:39,950 --> 00:27:43,287 [pensive music] 606 00:27:43,287 --> 00:27:45,372 Here's the "Minute Rice." 607 00:27:49,293 --> 00:27:50,127 - Stay a moment. 608 00:28:05,309 --> 00:28:06,351 Starchy. 609 00:28:08,312 --> 00:28:09,229 Gluey. 610 00:28:12,149 --> 00:28:13,108 Have you tried it? 611 00:28:15,068 --> 00:28:16,278 - I have. 612 00:28:16,278 --> 00:28:18,864 - Hmm, would you serve it at home? 613 00:28:18,864 --> 00:28:22,409 - Oh, if saving 15 minutes meant serving this, 614 00:28:22,409 --> 00:28:25,370 my husband would never let me hear the end of it. 615 00:28:25,370 --> 00:28:27,956 - We have to remember, this was at a time 616 00:28:27,956 --> 00:28:29,833 when the wife's responsibility 617 00:28:29,833 --> 00:28:31,835 was to cook for her husband and her children 618 00:28:31,835 --> 00:28:33,420 and keep the home. 619 00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:37,674 And essentially this idea was to be the perfect housewife, 620 00:28:37,674 --> 00:28:40,969 you must cook perfectly and cook quickly. 621 00:28:40,969 --> 00:28:42,512 - [Narrator] Mars responds 622 00:28:42,512 --> 00:28:44,431 with a targeted campaign of his own. 623 00:28:45,682 --> 00:28:47,768 - [Announcer] Her marriage began with rice 624 00:28:49,311 --> 00:28:51,855 and could have ended with it too. 625 00:28:51,855 --> 00:28:54,691 - Hey, this rice is all stuck together. 626 00:28:54,691 --> 00:28:58,278 - So Uncle Ben's claps back at Minute Rice's campaign 627 00:28:58,278 --> 00:29:01,323 about being so quick to cook basically by saying 628 00:29:01,323 --> 00:29:03,367 that saving that little bit of extra time 629 00:29:03,367 --> 00:29:05,535 isn't worth ruining your marriage over. 630 00:29:05,535 --> 00:29:09,039 - [Announcer] Marriages thrive on Uncle Ben's rice. 631 00:29:09,039 --> 00:29:11,792 [rhythmic music] 632 00:29:13,418 --> 00:29:16,088 - It's important to note that the 1950s 633 00:29:16,088 --> 00:29:18,090 ushered in the age of television. 634 00:29:18,090 --> 00:29:21,301 So food ads didn't just have to be a picture, 635 00:29:21,301 --> 00:29:23,136 you could see the way the food moved, 636 00:29:23,136 --> 00:29:27,015 you could see steam rising from it, it was appetizing. 637 00:29:27,015 --> 00:29:31,395 And so food companies definitely used it to their advantage. 638 00:29:31,395 --> 00:29:33,897 And when it came to the instant rice battles, 639 00:29:33,897 --> 00:29:35,899 well, whichever one looked fluffier 640 00:29:35,899 --> 00:29:38,902 and tastier on television was the one that was gonna win. 641 00:29:38,902 --> 00:29:42,280 - [Announcer] This rice has big, perfect, separate grains. 642 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:45,200 - Big, perfect, separate grains? 643 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:46,952 - [Narrator] While Minute Rice is popular, 644 00:29:46,952 --> 00:29:49,663 America's brand loyalty keeps Uncle Ben's 645 00:29:49,663 --> 00:29:52,165 as the number one selling rice. 646 00:29:52,165 --> 00:29:55,419 And by 1955, Americans are each eating 647 00:29:55,419 --> 00:29:58,630 nearly five pounds of rice per year. 648 00:29:58,630 --> 00:30:01,174 - The popularity of Uncle Ben's and Minute Rice 649 00:30:01,174 --> 00:30:02,467 is part of the reason 650 00:30:02,467 --> 00:30:04,845 that rice is on the American plate now. 651 00:30:04,845 --> 00:30:06,304 They created a product 652 00:30:06,304 --> 00:30:08,223 that's even easier to make than potatoes. 653 00:30:08,223 --> 00:30:11,226 - Rice becomes such a simple dish, 654 00:30:11,226 --> 00:30:14,271 so easy to store, so easy to prepare. 655 00:30:14,271 --> 00:30:16,606 It's the best of all possible worlds. 656 00:30:16,606 --> 00:30:18,316 - [Narrator] Today, the average American 657 00:30:18,316 --> 00:30:21,611 consumes 27 pounds of rice annually. 658 00:30:21,611 --> 00:30:24,114 - Now rice is a big part of the American diet 659 00:30:24,114 --> 00:30:26,616 and it's everywhere and incredibly easy to make. 660 00:30:28,035 --> 00:30:29,369 - [Narrator] Though Minute Rice and Uncle Ben's 661 00:30:29,369 --> 00:30:33,790 have transformed rice, one thing remains the same, 662 00:30:33,790 --> 00:30:35,208 its simple taste. 663 00:30:36,501 --> 00:30:40,088 But in 1956, that's all about to change. 664 00:30:40,088 --> 00:30:43,842 And it begins with two struggling pasta makers. 665 00:30:43,842 --> 00:30:45,761 - Tom and Vince DeDomenico are brothers 666 00:30:45,761 --> 00:30:47,804 who live in San Francisco. 667 00:30:47,804 --> 00:30:49,181 They work for their father 668 00:30:49,181 --> 00:30:52,642 who owned the Golden Grain Macaroni Company. 669 00:30:52,642 --> 00:30:55,437 - And now, the brothers were running the company together. 670 00:30:58,356 --> 00:30:59,107 - Good morning. 671 00:31:00,317 --> 00:31:02,736 - You know, the family are Italian immigrants 672 00:31:02,736 --> 00:31:05,822 and, you know, they take a tremendous amount of pride 673 00:31:05,822 --> 00:31:08,033 in the pastas that they produce. 674 00:31:08,033 --> 00:31:10,077 - The DeDomenicos in San Francisco 675 00:31:10,077 --> 00:31:13,330 were running what we would call a high-end kind of business. 676 00:31:13,330 --> 00:31:14,915 - [Narrator] But recent food trends 677 00:31:14,915 --> 00:31:16,500 are threatening their sales. 678 00:31:17,834 --> 00:31:20,295 - My wife served this to me for dinner last night. 679 00:31:20,295 --> 00:31:23,256 She actually bought it, our competitor's product. 680 00:31:24,424 --> 00:31:27,552 - The post-war boom is bringing major brands 681 00:31:27,552 --> 00:31:30,555 and big box brands into the marketplace, 682 00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:33,433 and it's eating into Golden Grain's share, 683 00:31:33,433 --> 00:31:36,478 with the rise of things like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, 684 00:31:36,478 --> 00:31:39,272 a noodle dish that's able to be prepared 685 00:31:39,272 --> 00:31:41,858 with everything all in one box. 686 00:31:41,858 --> 00:31:44,402 - So small regional producers 687 00:31:44,402 --> 00:31:46,488 like the Golden Grain Macaroni Company 688 00:31:46,488 --> 00:31:48,615 are starting to get squeezed out 689 00:31:48,615 --> 00:31:50,659 by these larger conglomerates 690 00:31:50,659 --> 00:31:54,746 who have bigger national distribution chains, 691 00:31:54,746 --> 00:31:56,414 who have bigger marketing budgets. 692 00:31:56,414 --> 00:32:00,043 So a lot of these smaller companies started to suffer. 693 00:32:00,877 --> 00:32:01,920 - People love it. 694 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,088 - Why? 695 00:32:03,088 --> 00:32:05,173 - It's a gimmick, and gimmicks sell. 696 00:32:05,173 --> 00:32:07,175 [dramatic music] 697 00:32:07,175 --> 00:32:09,177 - Outside of the San Francisco area, 698 00:32:09,177 --> 00:32:10,846 somebody in the Midwest, 699 00:32:10,846 --> 00:32:13,640 are they gonna choose Kraft Macaroni & Cheese 700 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,018 or Golden Grains Pasta? 701 00:32:17,018 --> 00:32:18,311 They're gonna go with the Kraft 702 00:32:18,311 --> 00:32:20,313 'cause that's what they've heard of. 703 00:32:21,815 --> 00:32:23,483 - We need a gimmick of our own. 704 00:32:23,483 --> 00:32:24,359 - Like what? 705 00:32:25,527 --> 00:32:28,029 - Something fast and easy. 706 00:32:28,029 --> 00:32:29,489 Something Kraft doesn't have. 707 00:32:31,992 --> 00:32:33,827 - [Narrator] What the brothers come up with 708 00:32:33,827 --> 00:32:37,956 will one day surpass $100 million in sales, 709 00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:42,669 giving rise to an iconic $275 million empire. 710 00:32:44,421 --> 00:32:47,215 But for now, their family business 711 00:32:47,215 --> 00:32:49,467 is on the brink of failure. 712 00:32:49,467 --> 00:32:52,470 - Little small pasta businesses like Golden Grain 713 00:32:52,470 --> 00:32:54,556 realized that their days are numbered. 714 00:33:00,270 --> 00:33:01,938 [rhythmic music] 715 00:33:01,938 --> 00:33:04,149 - [Narrator] Tom and Vince DeDomenico 716 00:33:04,149 --> 00:33:06,318 have been searching for a new product 717 00:33:06,318 --> 00:33:09,321 to save their struggling macaroni company. 718 00:33:09,321 --> 00:33:11,615 - We just need something Kraft doesn't have. 719 00:33:11,615 --> 00:33:12,699 - Fun shapes? 720 00:33:13,658 --> 00:33:15,535 Macaroni in a can? 721 00:33:15,535 --> 00:33:16,912 - No cans. 722 00:33:16,912 --> 00:33:18,830 We just need something else. 723 00:33:18,830 --> 00:33:20,290 What else goes with macaroni? 724 00:33:21,499 --> 00:33:23,001 - [Narrator] But despite their brainstorming, 725 00:33:23,001 --> 00:33:24,961 they keep coming up empty. 726 00:33:24,961 --> 00:33:27,756 [rhythmic music] 727 00:33:32,469 --> 00:33:34,679 - It smells fantastic in here. 728 00:33:34,679 --> 00:33:35,680 What is it? 729 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:36,598 - Something new. 730 00:33:37,724 --> 00:33:39,351 Our landlady told me how to make it. 731 00:33:40,518 --> 00:33:42,604 - Lois DeDomenico is a sweet Canadian woman 732 00:33:42,604 --> 00:33:44,564 who has married Tom DeDomenico. 733 00:33:44,564 --> 00:33:46,483 And even though she's not Italian, 734 00:33:46,483 --> 00:33:48,985 she tries to learn as many recipes as she can 735 00:33:48,985 --> 00:33:53,657 to feed her hardworking husband and friends that come over. 736 00:33:53,657 --> 00:33:55,408 - It's called Armenian pilaf. 737 00:33:55,408 --> 00:33:59,162 It's vegetables, spices, rice, and a little bit of noodles. 738 00:34:00,664 --> 00:34:02,040 - Pasta? 739 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:03,458 As in macaroni? 740 00:34:03,458 --> 00:34:05,168 - Mixing pasta with rice 741 00:34:05,168 --> 00:34:09,339 is something that has been done in Greece 742 00:34:09,339 --> 00:34:13,592 and parts of the Middle East, where the term pilaf is used 743 00:34:13,592 --> 00:34:18,139 to cover both pure rice and rice cooked with pasta. 744 00:34:18,139 --> 00:34:20,641 - Well, yes, but not the elbow kind, 745 00:34:20,641 --> 00:34:22,936 thin noodles called vermicelli. 746 00:34:22,936 --> 00:34:25,313 - Vermicelli noodles are a type of pasta. 747 00:34:25,313 --> 00:34:28,108 It's a thin pasta, similar to spaghetti. 748 00:34:28,108 --> 00:34:29,650 - Pilaf is this really savory dish. 749 00:34:29,650 --> 00:34:32,070 They throw in a bunch of butter, onion, spices, 750 00:34:32,070 --> 00:34:33,530 and you're left with this aromatic, 751 00:34:33,530 --> 00:34:35,949 almost nutty flavor profile. 752 00:34:35,949 --> 00:34:37,367 - [Narrator] But in the US, 753 00:34:37,367 --> 00:34:40,870 the idea of pasta and rice together is unheard of. 754 00:34:40,870 --> 00:34:43,623 [dramatic music] 755 00:34:47,168 --> 00:34:48,128 - That's good. 756 00:34:49,295 --> 00:34:50,922 - It's like lightning from a clear sky. 757 00:34:50,922 --> 00:34:51,922 He just boom. 758 00:34:51,922 --> 00:34:53,757 This was the light bulb moment. 759 00:34:53,757 --> 00:34:57,429 - He realizes, this, this is the product 760 00:34:57,429 --> 00:35:00,849 that if I can make it quick, convenient, 761 00:35:00,849 --> 00:35:03,977 easy, and self-contained, this could be a product 762 00:35:03,977 --> 00:35:05,979 for Golden Grain Macaroni Company. 763 00:35:05,979 --> 00:35:08,398 I could use the macaroni I already have 764 00:35:08,398 --> 00:35:11,901 with rice that now can be cooked more quickly than ever. 765 00:35:11,901 --> 00:35:14,904 - Lois, how long did it take you to make this? 766 00:35:14,904 --> 00:35:18,491 - Well, I had to make the broth first, so maybe two hours? 767 00:35:19,492 --> 00:35:22,162 [dramatic music] 768 00:35:22,162 --> 00:35:24,873 - If a dish takes two hours to cook, 769 00:35:24,873 --> 00:35:26,291 that's not gonna be the dish 770 00:35:26,291 --> 00:35:28,877 that's gonna save his company and his income. 771 00:35:30,712 --> 00:35:33,465 [rhythmic music] 772 00:35:36,134 --> 00:35:37,719 - So what's it called again? 773 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:38,762 - Pilaf. 774 00:35:38,762 --> 00:35:40,764 - And it's pasta and rice together? 775 00:35:40,764 --> 00:35:42,599 - Vermicelli, yes. 776 00:35:42,599 --> 00:35:43,475 - And it's good? 777 00:35:43,475 --> 00:35:44,893 - It's great. 778 00:35:44,893 --> 00:35:47,312 The problem is you have to cook it in broth, 779 00:35:47,312 --> 00:35:49,648 and it defeats the whole easy dish idea. 780 00:35:49,648 --> 00:35:52,817 - Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is as easy as it gets. 781 00:35:52,817 --> 00:35:54,402 Everything comes in the box. 782 00:35:54,402 --> 00:35:56,946 You just need to add milk and butter and you're done. 783 00:35:56,946 --> 00:35:59,699 [dramatic music] 784 00:36:03,995 --> 00:36:06,539 - If they can put cheese powder into a packet, 785 00:36:07,666 --> 00:36:09,209 why can't we do the same with broth? 786 00:36:11,836 --> 00:36:13,505 [rhythmic music] 787 00:36:13,505 --> 00:36:15,632 - So the DeDomenicos come up with this idea 788 00:36:15,632 --> 00:36:17,008 to add chicken bouillon, 789 00:36:17,008 --> 00:36:19,094 which is basically just dehydrated chicken broth. 790 00:36:19,094 --> 00:36:21,846 - Bouillon was soup in powder form. 791 00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:25,892 Well, now you had instant soup and instant rice. 792 00:36:25,892 --> 00:36:30,188 No one had ever thought to combine the flavors of soup 793 00:36:30,188 --> 00:36:31,731 with the instant rice 794 00:36:31,731 --> 00:36:34,859 in a quick-cooking, high-flavor package. 795 00:36:34,859 --> 00:36:36,528 - 'Cause you don't wanna create this product 796 00:36:36,528 --> 00:36:39,239 that's gonna be kind of drab and taste just like white rice. 797 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,199 You have to have some flavor as well. 798 00:36:42,409 --> 00:36:45,245 [rhythmic music] 799 00:36:47,706 --> 00:36:49,999 - [Adrian] One challenge that Tom DeDomenico had 800 00:36:49,999 --> 00:36:54,879 was adapting the flavor profile of the Armenian pilaf 801 00:36:54,879 --> 00:36:56,339 for the American consumer, 802 00:36:56,339 --> 00:36:59,342 'cause traditionally, a pilaf from Armenia 803 00:36:59,342 --> 00:37:03,596 would be seasoned with lamb broth, cloves, nutmeg. 804 00:37:03,596 --> 00:37:05,932 These weren't things that people normally had 805 00:37:05,932 --> 00:37:07,434 in savory dishes. 806 00:37:07,434 --> 00:37:09,894 - He decides to create an Americanized version of this 807 00:37:09,894 --> 00:37:11,396 that uses chicken broth 808 00:37:11,396 --> 00:37:14,065 and spices like onion and garlic powder. 809 00:37:14,065 --> 00:37:14,899 - I think we're there. 810 00:37:14,899 --> 00:37:17,777 [dramatic music] 811 00:37:29,706 --> 00:37:32,000 - [Narrator] They've even landed on the perfect name. 812 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,127 - Rice and Macaroni is ready for the world. 813 00:37:35,003 --> 00:37:36,963 - [Narrator] Or so they thought. 814 00:37:36,963 --> 00:37:38,548 - Are you guys sure about the name? 815 00:37:38,548 --> 00:37:40,091 [dramatic music] 816 00:37:43,887 --> 00:37:45,221 - [Narrator] The DeDomenicos have landed 817 00:37:45,513 --> 00:37:49,684 on an Americanized recipe and name for their new rice dish, 818 00:37:49,684 --> 00:37:52,937 but not everyone is convinced they've gotten it right. 819 00:37:52,937 --> 00:37:54,773 - Are you guys sure about the name? 820 00:37:56,649 --> 00:37:58,193 - Rice and Macaroni? 821 00:37:58,193 --> 00:37:59,444 What, you don't like it? 822 00:38:00,862 --> 00:38:04,532 - It's just, it doesn't sound new and exciting, you know? 823 00:38:05,742 --> 00:38:08,995 - Rice and Macaroni was not the most sexy name 824 00:38:08,995 --> 00:38:10,371 that you can come up with. 825 00:38:10,371 --> 00:38:12,540 - Well, we agreed no pilaf. 826 00:38:12,540 --> 00:38:14,083 Too exotic. 827 00:38:14,083 --> 00:38:15,835 - Rice and Mac? 828 00:38:15,835 --> 00:38:17,587 - So they've tried all kinds of names, 829 00:38:17,587 --> 00:38:20,340 Rice and Macaroni, Macaroni and Rice. 830 00:38:20,340 --> 00:38:22,050 Really, none of them very catchy. 831 00:38:23,510 --> 00:38:24,594 - Rice and Roni? 832 00:38:25,386 --> 00:38:28,681 - Or Rice-A-Roni. 833 00:38:32,435 --> 00:38:33,853 [dramatic music] 834 00:38:33,853 --> 00:38:35,897 - [Narrator] With a clever name for their product, 835 00:38:35,897 --> 00:38:39,442 the brothers now need a marketing team to help sell it. 836 00:38:39,442 --> 00:38:43,404 - And they hire a world renowned ad agency, McCann Erickson. 837 00:38:43,404 --> 00:38:47,116 - So we've tested the name and it doesn't work. 838 00:38:48,326 --> 00:38:53,289 Nobody knows what a Rice-A-Roni is, at least not yet. 839 00:38:53,289 --> 00:38:55,124 We just need to tell them what it is. 840 00:38:56,042 --> 00:38:57,085 - Okay. 841 00:38:57,085 --> 00:38:58,461 How? 842 00:38:58,461 --> 00:39:00,088 Do we sell it as a new Italian dish? 843 00:39:00,088 --> 00:39:02,173 - Or even an Armenian dish? 844 00:39:02,173 --> 00:39:03,466 - No. 845 00:39:03,466 --> 00:39:05,218 Imagine trolley bells. 846 00:39:05,218 --> 00:39:06,678 [bells ringing] 847 00:39:06,678 --> 00:39:08,137 - They wanted it to sound a bit cosmopolitan. 848 00:39:08,137 --> 00:39:09,681 And San Francisco 849 00:39:09,681 --> 00:39:11,266 was one of the biggest culinary hubs out there. 850 00:39:11,266 --> 00:39:12,767 - San Francisco's thought of 851 00:39:12,767 --> 00:39:14,602 as a place with a lot of cultures coming together, 852 00:39:14,602 --> 00:39:17,188 fine dining, a place that you wanna visit, 853 00:39:17,188 --> 00:39:18,857 a place you'd fall in love with. 854 00:39:18,857 --> 00:39:22,110 - [Narrator] In 1958, Rice-A-Roni hits the shelves 855 00:39:22,110 --> 00:39:24,571 and McCann Erickson creates an ad campaign 856 00:39:24,571 --> 00:39:27,115 capitalizing on San Francisco's reputation 857 00:39:27,115 --> 00:39:29,242 as a culinary epicenter. 858 00:39:29,242 --> 00:39:31,828 ♪ Rice-A-Roni 859 00:39:31,828 --> 00:39:34,163 ♪ The San Francisco treat. 860 00:39:34,163 --> 00:39:37,083 - White rice commercials must have existed, 861 00:39:37,083 --> 00:39:38,793 but none of them come to mind. 862 00:39:38,793 --> 00:39:41,087 None of them live in my head and heart like. 863 00:39:41,087 --> 00:39:42,755 ♪ Rice-A-Roni 864 00:39:42,755 --> 00:39:44,382 ♪ The San Francisco treat 865 00:39:44,382 --> 00:39:48,803 - One of the most iconic jingles ever. 866 00:39:48,803 --> 00:39:51,097 - Jingles were the way to get into someone, 867 00:39:51,097 --> 00:39:53,224 into their head, into their thinking. 868 00:39:53,224 --> 00:39:56,978 - San Francisco was both exotic and American, so safe. 869 00:39:56,978 --> 00:40:01,608 It's not like saying that this is the Bangkok treat. 870 00:40:01,608 --> 00:40:03,276 - This is one of the greatest examples 871 00:40:03,276 --> 00:40:05,486 of expert branding there ever was. 872 00:40:05,486 --> 00:40:07,155 - Their strategy is brilliant. 873 00:40:07,155 --> 00:40:09,490 - When it came out, a lot of people in San Francisco 874 00:40:09,490 --> 00:40:11,492 were surprised to hear of this famous dish 875 00:40:11,492 --> 00:40:12,577 they'd never heard of. 876 00:40:12,577 --> 00:40:14,662 But the thing is it worked. 877 00:40:14,662 --> 00:40:16,497 We still know the jingle today. 878 00:40:16,497 --> 00:40:18,917 - [imitates honking] That's the street car. 879 00:40:18,917 --> 00:40:21,127 [bell ringing] [dramatic music] 880 00:40:21,127 --> 00:40:22,462 - [Narrator] But it's not just the jingle 881 00:40:22,462 --> 00:40:25,089 that makes Rice-A-Roni an immediate hit. 882 00:40:25,089 --> 00:40:27,258 - Rice-A-Roni distinguished itself in the market 883 00:40:27,258 --> 00:40:31,596 because unlike Uncle Ben's and Minute Rice, it had flavor. 884 00:40:31,596 --> 00:40:33,306 If you wanted more flavor with Minute Rice, 885 00:40:33,306 --> 00:40:34,390 you had to add it. 886 00:40:34,390 --> 00:40:36,017 But along comes Rice-A-Roni, 887 00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:37,602 where you don't have to do all of that. 888 00:40:37,602 --> 00:40:39,687 You can just buy that package and you've got instant flavor. 889 00:40:39,687 --> 00:40:42,857 - A lot of these convenience foods, these rice products, 890 00:40:42,857 --> 00:40:47,362 really kind of opened up the world of multicultural cuisine 891 00:40:47,362 --> 00:40:48,780 to the American palate. 892 00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:52,116 It made anything available and and easy to cook. 893 00:40:52,116 --> 00:40:53,368 [dramatic music] 894 00:40:53,368 --> 00:40:54,994 - [Narrator] Brands like Uncle Ben's, 895 00:40:54,994 --> 00:40:59,165 Minute Rice, and Rice-A-Roni helped change how America eats. 896 00:40:59,165 --> 00:41:01,125 But as American culture evolves, 897 00:41:01,125 --> 00:41:05,713 in 2020, Uncle Ben's makes a change to their branding. 898 00:41:05,713 --> 00:41:07,632 - Fortunately, companies took a look and said, 899 00:41:07,632 --> 00:41:10,969 "We're gonna get away from the racist underpinnings 900 00:41:10,969 --> 00:41:12,512 of these images." 901 00:41:12,512 --> 00:41:14,681 And ultimately the company decided to change to Ben's 902 00:41:14,681 --> 00:41:15,890 and got rid of the uncle, 903 00:41:15,890 --> 00:41:18,017 which I think was a very important step. 904 00:41:18,017 --> 00:41:20,269 - [Narrator] Uncle Ben's becomes Ben's Original, 905 00:41:20,269 --> 00:41:24,148 retiring the face of Frank Brown after nearly 75 years. 906 00:41:24,899 --> 00:41:26,401 [dramatic music] 907 00:41:26,401 --> 00:41:28,361 Today, with Americans consuming 908 00:41:28,361 --> 00:41:31,197 an average of 27 pounds of rice annually, 909 00:41:31,197 --> 00:41:35,660 the US produces 20 billion pounds of rice per year. 910 00:41:35,660 --> 00:41:40,707 - Rice alone accounts for 5% of America's caloric intake. 911 00:41:40,707 --> 00:41:43,751 Not 5% of side dishes, 912 00:41:43,751 --> 00:41:48,506 just 5% full-stop of our entire caloric intake. 913 00:41:48,506 --> 00:41:51,092 It's more than potatoes, it's more than pasta. 914 00:41:51,092 --> 00:41:53,678 I mean, that's huge. 915 00:41:53,678 --> 00:41:56,014 - [Narrator] Thanks to brands like Uncle Ben's, 916 00:41:56,014 --> 00:41:58,474 Minute Rice, and Rice-A-Roni. 917 00:41:58,474 --> 00:41:59,934 - And I think that's a reflection 918 00:42:00,059 --> 00:42:02,311 of how successful these companies were in marketing rice 919 00:42:02,311 --> 00:42:03,855 but also just the popularity 920 00:42:03,855 --> 00:42:05,606 of other cultures around the world 921 00:42:05,606 --> 00:42:07,483 that have rice as their basis. 922 00:42:07,483 --> 00:42:09,694 - Rice has been around for thousands of years 923 00:42:09,694 --> 00:42:11,195 in other cultures. 924 00:42:11,195 --> 00:42:14,157 It just took America a little bit longer to catch on. 925 00:42:15,199 --> 00:42:16,701 - The legacy of these products 926 00:42:16,701 --> 00:42:19,037 is that they take a relatively obscure food source 927 00:42:19,037 --> 00:42:22,832 and make it a pantry staple for American families.