Résumé
This chapter provides a state-of-the-art review of the diversity and dynamics of consumer demand with respect to the eating quality of rice worldwide. Quality includes both tangible measurable factors (rice characteristics) and the context of consumption. The main sensory attributes evaluated around the world are described, and their relationship with the diversity of consumer demand is discussed. Instrumental methods for predicting quality measured on either raw or cooked grains are reviewed. The changes that occur in the rice grain during cooking are described along with a modeling approach able to predict the changes and their spatial distribution in the rice grain during cooking. This approach can be used to link consumer demand with cooking conditions and grain quality.