The Malagasy ethnic group forms over 90 percent of Madagascar's population. Recent DNA research revealed that the genetic makeup of the average Malagasy person constitutes an approximately equal blend of Southeast Asian, Oceanian and East African genes. The Southeast Asian cultural influence is evident in Malagasy cuisine, in which rice is consumed at every meal. Rainfall in Anosy is highest on the eastern side of the mountains. In general, Anosy is very wet and humid in the northeast and becomes increasingly arid as one moves southwest. Rice-growing valleys are lying between grassy hills in the eastern part of the region.