The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word SAKE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
S
A
K
E
More clues leading to the result SAKE
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Benefit/something made from rice" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case benefit/something made from rice = sake.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SAKE mean?
SAKE noun- Cause, interest or account
- Purpose or end; reason
- The benefit or regard of someone or something
- (obsolete except in phrases) contention, strife; guilt, sin, accusation or charge
- An alcoholic beverage made from fermenting various forms of rice, usually with an ABV similar to wine.
- A class of Japanese rice wines made from polished rice and typically about 20% alcohol by volume.