Rice is the world’s food. People get more calories from rice than from any other food. The seed from a semi-aquatic plant, rice has been a food source for people for thousands of years. It is believed that rice was first cultivated by the Chinese around 2500 B.C. Second only to corn in world-wide production, rice is a staple to nearly 50% of the world’s population. There are over 80,000 varieties of rice grown in over 100 countries with 95% of rice production (and consumption) in Asia. Americans consume approximately 25 pounds of rice per person per year. In parts of Asia, the per capita consumption of rice is 200 pounds per person per year. Similar to the religious and culture significance of bread in the West, rice is a sacred part of many Asian cultures, included in most every meal. There are thousands of varieties of rice, broadly categorized into the long-grain Indica cultivars grown in tropical areas like Southeast Asia and the shorter-grain Japonica rices grown in more temperate climates like Japan and Northern China. The long-grain rices are made up of mostly amylose, a starch that cooks up firm and separate. The short-grain varieties have relatively low levels of amylose with much higher levels of amylopectin that cook up soft and sticky.
Short-Grain Rices
Short-grain (or medium-grain) rices are used in dishes like risotto or rice puddings. Short-grain rices like sushi rice or sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice, are different from short-grain arborio rices in two important ways. First in the amount of water used to cook the rice, sushi rice is cooked in roughly equal parts liquid to rice. Arborio rice uses 5 to 6 times the amount of liquid to rice. Secondly, varieties of rice used to make risotto like arborio, have a chalky center. This gives arborio rice its distinctive al dente texture. Sushi rice lacks this chalky starch center and cooks up soft throughout the grain.
Glutinous rice or sticky rice, is grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia. Japan and Korea, glutinous rice is preferred because it is sticky when cooked and is easier to eat with chop-sticks.
Bomba rice is difficult to grow and expensive, Spanish bomba rice is considered the best rice for paella . Unlike other rice varieties which expand in length when cooked, bomba rice expands in width, and it can absorb nearly three times its volume in liquid without turning mushy. Arborio rice is an acceptable substitute.
Long-Grain Rices
Long-grain rices have long and slender grains and cook up light, fluffy and with dry, separate grains. Long-grain rices that have a mild flavor are often used for rice pilaf. More aromatic long-grain rices jasmine and basmati are often the rices preferred to accompany dishes form South and Southeast Asia. Amylose, the starch in long-grain rice crystallizes when refrigerated. This process is known as starch retrogradation. When a cooked long-grain rice is refrigerated, it will turn hard until reheated. In dishes like rice puddings that will be refrigerated, use a short-grain rice to avoid this hardened texture.
Brown Rice
White Rice
Converted Rice or Parboiled Rice
Converted or Parboiled rice is boiled or steamed and then dehydrated. In the process, vitamins and minerals are forced from the husk into the starch granule. The outer husk falls off and all that is left is the gelatinous starchy granule. Converted rice cooks up separate and less sticky than regular rice. It also cooks faster and holds its shape better. As with most processing however, the cost is flavor. In taste tests, most people prefer regular rice for its superior flavor and texture. While converted rice has most of the nutrition of brown rice sans the fiber. It also offers an important nutritional advantage over white and brown rices. Rices are high on the glycemic index, foods that increase blood sugar levels. Converted rice, is lower on the glycemic index than traditional white or brown rice. In the process of converting rice, the starch hardens and make it harder to digest, lowering its glycemic index. Converted rice has a glycemic index of about 38, making it much lower than white rice’s GI of 65 or brown rice’s 55.
Instant rice is fully cooked and then dehydrated. While it does cook quicker (5 minutes), the rice is bland. It has an inferior texture, taste and nutrition. It’s also more expensive.
Wild Rice
Wild rice is a true aquatic grass and not actually a rice. The majority of wild rice is actually cultivated grown under man-made paddies. True wild rice is grown in the wild. Hand-harvested from lakes and rivers in Minnesota and Canada. Hand-harvested wild rice has a pale appearance, a smoky flavor, and a tender texture. Cultivated rice has deep, ebony color, firm texture and milder tasted than true wild rice. True wild rice can also be very expensive, as much as $9 per pound. Cultivated wild rice costs $3 to $5 per pound.
Forbidden Black Rice
Like brown rice, black rice is unpolished, meaning that the hull of the grain—a rich source of insoluble fiber—is still intact. But black rice contains anthocyanins, the same antioxidant compounds that make blueberries and blackberries such valuable additions to our diets. These compounds are what turn the rice a deep purple as it cooks. Black rice grains cook up distinct and firm to the bite, with nutty and slightly sweet flavor.
Rice Nutrition
The protein in rice, when compared to that of other grains, is considered to be a high quality protein. It has eight of the nine essential amino acids. Rice’s lower level of the the essential amino acid lysine can be easily complimented with meat, dairy, legumes, corn, or tomatoes. Rice is also a good source of other essential nutrients such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, iron, and potassium. Rice has no fat, no cholesterol and no sodium. Non-allegenic and gluten-free, rice is especially well suited for persons with special dietary needs.
Most of the white rice consumed in the United States is enriched. Rice naturally contains thiamin, niacin and iron. However, during the milling process, the quantity of these nutrients is reduced. To bring the nutritional level of the milled product up to that of the whole grain (brown), rice is enriched with thiamin, niacin, iron, and folic acid.
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