Humans have been eating rice for thousands of years. After corn, which is grown for both humans and animals, rice is the second most widely grown grain crop in the world. Maybe because it’s such a common staple, we think we know all there is to know about rice and how to cook and serve it. But this isn’t necessarily so.
There are more than 50 types of rice in the world. We’re going to look at the types of rice you’re most likely to have or find in your supermarket or at a local Asian grocer and how to prepare them.
Watch future blog posts for rice recipes and tips for enhancing your rice dishes.
Rice is an excellent source of food energy. Most types of rice contain 80-85% carbohydrate with the remaining amounts made up of a small percentage of fat and 7% protein. When hydrated during cooking, the nutrition is diluted, of course. A cup of cooked rice has about 200 calories; this calorie total varies minutely between varieties of rice and due to a higher fibre content, it is a better option compared to other carb options.
Most of us think of 2 main types of rice – white and brown. All rice is naturally brown or another rich colour such as red or even black. It becomes white when its outer, coloured bran is removed. There are pros and cons to removing the bran.
The rice in the box has bran removed and rice processed to the ready. It has a purpose, no doubt. In its production, the rice is parboiled so the complex starches are already broken down allowing it to take on water, hydrate and soften faster. It is also predigested with complex carbohydrates broken down to their simple base components that the body sees as immediate sugar energy, spiking our blood sugar unnecessarily.
Pro:
Con:
While some producers will remove the bran but then enrich the rice afterwards by re-adding nutrients, nothing beats the health value of the whole, brown rice as this table shows:
Brown rice | White rice | Enriched white rice | |
42% daily value (DV) | 16% DV | 16% DV | |
16% DV | 3% DV | 9% DV | |
15% DV | 2% DV | 14% DV | |
11% DV | – | 14% DV | |
9% DV | 2% DV | 2% DV |
(from www.medicalnewstoday.com)
The long and short of it
There are short-, medium-, and long-grain rices. As a rule of thumb, the shorter the rice, the stickier it is. Arborio, sushi rice and glutinous rice are examples of short-grain rice. On the other hand, basmati rice is the longest rice available and is renowned for its fluffy, individual cooked grains.
Rinse your rice
Before cooking, rinse your rice. Simply put the amount of rice you want to cook into a mesh sieve and rinse the rice under running water, occasionally stirring it with your hands. Rinse the rice until the rinsing water runs clear – anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Rinsing helps remove excess starch from the rice. You shouldn’t rinse rice where you want a sticky or creamy result such as in a risotto, rice pudding, or sushi.
This is probably the most well known of rice types in North America and a pantry staple in most homes. Its flavour is bland so it lends itself to both savoury and sweet dishes.
Water to rice ratio – 1:5:1
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1 ½ cups of water.
Total cook time: 23 minutes
Sometimes white rice comes parboiled meaning it’s already been partially cooked and will cook faster than regular white rice. Follow the package directions for cooking parboiled rice.
Yield: about 3 cups cooked rice.
How to cook:
Place the uncovered pot of rinsed rice on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice simmer for 13 minutes. Then take the rice off the heat, leave the lid on and let the rice sit for 10 more minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and enjoy.
How to serve:
White rice can be eaten on its own or added to savoury dishes such as soups, curries, chilis, stews, stir fries and pilafs. It can also be eaten as a sweet dish with milk, fruit, nuts and sweeteners.
How to store:
You can store cooked this rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Brown rice still has its bran. While the bran does not affect the taste, the cooked rice can be chewier than plain white rice and is much more nutrient dense.
Water to rice ratio – 2:1
Cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water.
Total cook time: approximate 55 minutes
Yield: about 3 cups cooked rice.
How to cook:
Place the uncovered pot of rinsed rice on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice simmer for 40-45 minutes. Take the rice off the heat, leave the lid on and let the rice sit for 10 more minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and enjoy.
How to serve:
Brown rice can be eaten on its own or added to savoury dishes such as soups, curries, chilis, stews, and stir fries. It makes an excellent pilaf or fried rice because of its texture.
How to store:
You can store cooked rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
You can get both brown and white jasmine rice. This rice has a slightly floral note to it and is ideal with Indian and east Asian dishes. Jasmine rice doesn’t need to be rinsed.
Water to rice ratio – 1:5:1
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1 1/4 cups of water.
Total cook time: 23 minutes for white jasmine rice and 55 minutes for brown jasmine rice.
Yield: about 3 cups cooked rice.
How to cook:
Place the uncovered pot of rice on high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice simmer for 13 minutes for white jasmine rice and 45 minutes for brown jasmine rice. Take the rice off the heat, leave the lid on and let the rice sit for 10 more minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and enjoy.
How to serve:
Jasmine rice is ideal for accompanying Indian and southeast Asia recipes for curries, pilafs, and stir fries.
How to store:
You can store cooked rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
You can get both brown and white basmati rice. This rice has a delicate fragrance and flavour and is ideal with Indian and east Asian dishes. Rinse your basmati rice well to ensure a fluffy rice with separate grains.
Water to rice ratio – 1:75:1
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1 3/4 cups of water.
Total cook time: 18 minutes for white jasmine rice and 50 minutes for brown jasmine rice.
Yield: about 3 cups cooked rice.
How to cook:
Place the uncovered pot of rinsed rice on high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice simmer for 13 minutes for white basmati rice and 45 minutes for brown basmati rice. Take the rice off the heat, leave the lid on and let the rice sit for 5 more minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and enjoy.
How to serve:
Basmati rice is ideal for accompanying Indian and southeast Asia recipes for curries, pilafs, and stir fries.
How to store:
You can store cooked rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Arborio rice is short grain and starchy. It has a slight nutty flavour and is most well know as the main ingredient in risotto. Do not rinse this rice before cooking. Its starch is what makes it great in creamy dishes.
Water to rice ratio – 2:1
Cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water.
Total cook time: about 20 minutes
Yield: about 3 cups cooked rice.
How to cook:
Place the uncovered pot of rice on high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice simmer for about 20 minutes. When the water is all absorbed the rice is fully cooked.
How to serve:
Arborio rice is most commonly used to make risotto, arancini, and creamy rice pudding-style dishes.
How to store:
You can store cooked rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Don’t confuse black rice with wild rice (which is not actually rice at all). Black rice is a black-grained rice that has a chewy, nutty texture. When cooked, it turns a deep purple. Black rice is sometimes called forbidden rice or emperor’s rice because only Chinese emperors were allowed to eat it; it was forbidden to all others.
Rinsing this rice is up to you. Unrinsed, the cooked rice is a bit chewier than if it’s rinsed first.
Emperor’s rice is packed with nutrients and adds colour and interest to dishes usually made with white or brown rice.
Water to rice ratio – 1.75:1
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1 3/4 cups of water.
Total cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: about 3 cups cooked rice.
How to cook:
Place the uncovered pot of rice on high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the rice simmer for 30 minutes.
How to serve:
Black rice can be used as a savoury dish or as a creamy addition to desserts. It’s visually appealing and delicious in Buddha or power bowls.
How to store:
You can store cooked this rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator for xx days or in the freezer for xx months.
I’ll post more recipes with rice but in the meantime, try this recipe for a nutrition-packed, delicious breakfast bowl from my friend, Audrey. Check this out.
