>Where was brown rice the traditional way of eating rice (for non-elites)? During what centuries roughly? What is your evidence? Japanese commoners prior to th

>Where was brown rice the traditional way of eating rice (for non-elites)? During what centuries roughly? What is your evidence? Japanese commoners prior to the post-WW2 era mostly ate brown rice, white rice was eaten only by the rich and powerful. Even today, "hakumai"/"shiroi gohan" (white rice) still holds some of that special regard compared to "genmai" (brown rice), and that's despite the latter now being known as a vastly superior source of nutrients. I am not familiar with the food histories of other asian countries, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are similar.