Posted by Alice Moon on Mar.29, 2009

©iStockphoto.com - Marcello Wain

With more than 40,000 varieties of rice to choose from- plain white to red, purple and black- you’re sure to find a favorite. Mine is wild rice. Traditionally harvested among water loving grasses from the lakes of the northern US, a tribe still gathers it by canoe. I like to buy it for that reason, thinking about the little boats snaking through the stalks as I eat. The flavor is rich, the rice chewy and substantial.

What’s in it for me?
The two main categories of rice are whole grain and white. All rice is packed with complex carbohydrates, cholesterol free, low in sodium and fat. Rice is a good source of protein and contains vitamins and minerals, but brown rice has twice the fiber of white, five times the vitamin E and three times the magnesium. In bulk, it is an extremely inexpensive food.

Brown rice has a tan color and a nutty flavor. This form is filled with B complex nutrients. It has a pleasant, chewy texture. These varieties are more flavorful and colorful because the bran is intact, which means they can also take longer to cook. White rice has had the layers of bran and the germ milled away. It may be enriched, adding back some of the nutrients lost to processing.

Grain Size
Short grain rices are generally plump, nearly round in appearance. They cook up soft, tender and clingy. These are used for sushi rice and sticky rice dishes.
Medium grain rice is short and wide, cooks up moist and tender and also clings. It is used frequently in dessert preparations and dishes like risotto.
Long grain rice is slender and cooks up separate, fluffy, and light. It is used in Indian and Chinese cuisine, often served as plain steamed rice.

Common Varieties
Arborio may be familiar from its use in risotto. It absorbs flavor, has a chewy center and a creamy texture.
Black Japonica is an aromatic rice. Its bran is black and has a chewy texture with a slightly spicy flavor.
Basmati is a long grain, aromatic. It has a roasted nut flavor. Long and slender when cooked, its grains are fluffy, but remain separate.
Del varieties combine the properties of a long grain with the aromatic nature of Basmati.
Jasmine is a long grain with a roasted nut flavor. It cooks up soft, moist and clingy.

Types
Aromatic forms are savory and nutty in flavor and chewy in texture. They add subtle flavors to a finished dish. 
Sweet/waxy rice has a short, plump grain. It is glutinous when cooked, makes a good binding agent, and won’t break down when frozen. The rice doesn’t contain any actual gluten, so it is safe for Celiac diets. Sticky rice has more starch content than other varieties and is used in some Asian dishes, desserts, and sushi.
Precooked rice has been milled, cooked, and dehydrated. It takes less time to prepare.
Parboiled rice has been through a steam pressure process before milling. It is extra fluffy because the starch inside gelatinizes. It is said to produce a more nutritious white rice because the steaming is done while the husks are intact, locking the nutrients into the grain.

Preparation
Cooking is best done in an electric rice cooker. Alternate methods of preparation use the microwave, oven or stovetop. American households are still behind the times when it comes to using rice pots. There is no pan to monitor, no boiling over.

Add the rice, liquid, and a little oil, push a button, and there will be nothing more to do until you load your plate with the perfectly cooked rice. Brown and wild rices require more liquid and may take slightly longer to cook than white. Resist the urge to stir as it cooks or the rice will get gummy.

Zojirushi is an excellent brand of cooker, with many options to recommend it, but fancy features aren’t necessary in a good rice pot. Fewer features simply means you have to make your own fine adjustments for each type of rice. More expensive machines will handle some of those adaptations for you.

Soaking before cooking can lend the rice a completely new texture, appearance and flavor. There are cooks who swear by presoaking, but we throw everything into the rice pot and get fantastic results without the wait and hassle.

The grains needn’t be washed before use, except for white rices where talc has been added. Some argue washing takes away from the flavor of certain varieties and if the enrichment is added through powder form, that will be washed away.

While specialized cuisine calls for use of certain types of rice, it can more fun to experiment. Things may not always turn out perfectly, but none of our creations have ever gone uneaten. Rice goes with almost any ingredient, is excellent when prepared to be sweet or savory, and can be substituted for pasta and meat for a healthier version of common recipes.

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Posted under Food Facts, Food, Nutrition & Recipes.