Revealing the Ancient Chinese Secret of Sticky Rice Mortar

Construction workers in ancient China used sticky rice to make a super-strong mortar for city walls and other structures that even withstood earthquakes. Chemists now have discovered the ingredient in sticky rice that made the mortar so strong. Scientists have discovered the secret behind an ancient Chinese super-strong mortar made from sticky rice, the delicious sweet rice that is a modern mainstay in Asian dishes. They also concluded that the mortar — a paste used to bind and fill gaps between bricks, stone blocks and other construction materials — remains the best available material for restoring ancient buildings