How Nice is Rice!

 

 

Rice has fed more people over a longer period of time than any other crop. It can be dated as far back as 2500 B.C.E. Beginning in China, it soon spread to Sri Lanka and India. Passed into Greece and the Mediterrean possibly by Alexander the Great. Rice soon spread throughout Southern Europe and to North Africa. From Europe it spread to The Americas. The Portuguese brought it to Brazil and Spain to Central and South America and then spreading to North America.

3 MAJOR TYPES OF RICE:

Long grain rice has a long, slender kernel, four to five times longer than its width. Cooked grains are separate, light and fluffy. This is the best choice if you want to serve rice as a side dish, or as a bed for sauces.

Medium grain rice has a shorter and plumper kernel (two to three times longer than its width) than long grain rice. Cooked grains are more moist and tender, and have a greater tendency to cling together than long grain. Medium grain works well in paella and risotto. 

 

Short grain rice has a short, plump, almost round kernel. Cooked grains are soft and cling together. It's the best choice for rice pudding and molded salads.

VARIETIES:

There are more than 40,000 known types of rice, and dozens are readily available in your local supermarkets. I'm just going to mention the most commonly used in cooking.

Arborio Rice:

Medium-grain, cultivated in northern Italy, creamy outside and firm inside. This rice is abled to absorb alot of liquid and comes out very creamy thus making it the perfect rice for risotto's. It is very similar to the Californian short-grain variety called Pearl. 

Basmati Rice:

Long grain rice that originates from India and Pakistan. It is notable for it nutty fragrance and delicate flavour. The grains of basmati rice are longer than most other types of rice. Cooked grains of Basmati rice are free flowing rather than sticky, as with most long-grain rice. Cooked basmati rice can be uniquely identified by its fragrance. Basmati rice is available in two varieties: white or brown. Traditionally served with Indian Vegetable and Meat Dishes.

Black Rice:

This is a sticky rice with a nutty flavor. Black Rice is actually more off a purplish color than black. When uncooked it is very dark in appearance. This type of rice is usually sold ‘un-milled’, with the husk intact. Up until modern times, Black Rice was not easy to come by; it had been highly treasured and protected in Asia for many centuries. It is also commonly used as a condiment, dressing, or as a decoration for different types of desserts in many countries. Like brown rice this rice is high in nutritional value, - rich in iron and high in fiber. It is an extremely healthy rice as it known to  prevents the following: cancer, diabetes, heart attackes and disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Bonnet Rice:

It is a premium quality long grain rice, which swells to 2 times it original size. It is the most widely used all purpose rice. Perfect for stews, casseroles, bobotie and potjiekos. It is a huge favourite in the Southern parts of North America. Its mild flavour which complements the strong flavours of Cajun and Californian cuisine.

Brown Rice:

Brown rice is simply white rice that has not had the tan-colored bran covering removed. Therefore brown rice is a whole grain and contains more fiber than white rice.  It requires more water and longer cooking time than white rice. Brown rice also contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese, and zinc. White rice has reduced levels of these nutrients, but is often fortified with iron, and some B vitamins.

Jasmine/Thai Rice:
Also known as Thai fragrant rice. It is a long-grain variety of rice that has a nutty aroma slight taste of a flowering jasmine flower. It is a sticky rice and used in South East Asian Cuisine. Perfect for curries and Thai Dishes.

Red Rice:
A number of different rices are referred to as “red rice.” In most cases, people mean an unhulled or partially hulled rice which has a red husk, rather than the much more common brown. It is native to Asia and is regarded as a weed. This type of red rice can become a real nuisance as they grow next to rice plantations, and it can cross-breed, producing inferior rice plants. When red rice is cooked, the natural red color in the bran, or hull of the rice, leaches out and dyes the rest of the dish from red to pink. Red rice is high in fiber, because of the bran, and the flavor is much stronger than that of brown rice, tasting more nutty and full. Red rice can be served with a variety of foods in addition to being eaten on its own, and it can be added to risotto and other mixed rice dishes.

Sushi Rice:
It is a short grain rice - short and plump looking. It is very high gluten so when cooked it becomes very sticky. The stickiness makes it easier to eat with chop sticks as well as moulding for sushi.

Wehani:
This is a long grained rice which is aromatic with a musky smoky nutty flavor. Used as any long grained rice.

White Rice:
White rice is the name given to milled rice that has had its husk, bran and germ removed. This is done largely to prevent spoilage and to extend the storage life of the grain. After milling, the rice is polished, resulting in a seed with a bright, white, shiny appearance. The polishing process removes important nutrients. A diet based on unenriched white rice leaves people vulnerable to the neurological disease called beriberi, due to a deficiency of Vitamin B. White rice is often enriched with some of the nutrients stripped from it during its processing. Enrichment of white rice with B1, B3 and Iron required by law in most countries.

Wild Pecan Rice:  A long-grain rice that is only grown in the bayou country of Southern Louisiana. It's similar in flavor to Basmati. Pecan nutty in flavor and rich aroma. Excellent source of folate, and a good source of iron, niacin and thiamin.

Wild Rice:
Wild rice is actually not a rice but a grain, which is seeds from a water grass. They are long and dark brown with black colourings. Wonderful smoky, nutty flavour with a chewy texture. Wild rice from lakes are the best choice as they are far superior than cultivated wild rice. Wild rice is high in protein. It's a good source of copper, fiber, folate, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin B6 and zinc.