Everything You Need to Know About Rice 

Rice is one of the most common foods eaten around the world. In fact in Asia, over 200 million tons are eaten every year! It is a staple of a majority of the world?s population with world production to be estimated at more than 600 million tons. 

When it comes to cooking, it is extremely versatile. It can be served equally well with savory foods or as a sweet dish. 

Boiling rice is not as straight forward as you might think!

Not all rice is created equal ? in fact, there is estimated to be around 40,000 different varieties. With this in mind, it?s important that you follow the instructions on the rice packet to ensure you are using the right temperature and cooking time for the specific rice you have purchased.

In general though, cooking rice isn?t difficult and you don?t need expensive cookware to do it?generally you just boil the water, add your rice, stir until it comes back to the boil and then leave for the time indicated for that particular rice. 

Should I wash the rice before boiling? 

There are two schools of thought on this. Some advocate washing the rice prior to cooking and others don?t believe there is any adverse effect by not washing the rice. 

Washing rice removes the starch and results in a less sticky rice. If you do decide to wash the rice, then you need to put the rice in a strainer and rinse it in water until the water runs clear. 

There is also the alternative of washing the rice after it has boiled. This involves running the rice under hot water. 

Methods for Cooking Rice

Absorption Method ? this involves using a specific amount of rice and water. The water is boiled and the rice added and then set to simmer. Once the rice has absorbed all the water, the rice is cooked.

Boiling Method ? this method involves boiling water, adding the rice and stirring regularly to prevent sticking. 

Microwave Method ? this is a very simple way of cooking rice but can result in an overflow of the water as it cooks. This means a bit of clean up after cooking. Basically you get a tall microwave safe container (preferably one made specifically for cooking rice). Remember that rice generally triples in volume as it cooks, Add the rice and the necessary amount of water and then cook for the specified amount of time suggested on the rice packet. A rule of thumb is to add 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water, cover and cook for 12 ? 15 minutes.

Rice Cooker Method ? using a rice cooker is an easy way to cook perfect rice and especially so if you use a fuzzy logic rice cooker. Fuzzy logic cookers make cooking rice a breeze as it reacts to the type of rice in the pot and lowers or raises the heat as required and adjusts the time as necessary.  You don?t have to think about it ? it will just cook your rice perfectly for you and it will even keep the rice warm until you are ready to eat.

Popular Rice Varieties

White ? White rice is the most popular of all rice varieties particularly in Western countries. It is rice that is milled and then polished to give it its white appearance but in doing so it reduces the amount of nutrients. For this reason in some countries white rice is often enriched with the nutrients that have been leached out during initial processing.

Brown ? Brown rice is a healthier version when compared to white. Unlike white rice, the husk hasn?t been removed so vital nutrients are not destroyed during processing. Brown rice is not always seen to be as palatable as white rice and for this reason is not as popular. It also takes longer to cook but the health benefits make up for these deficiencies.

Jasmine ? Jasmine rice is deemed to be a ?fragrant? rice as it has an aromatic flavor which is quite subtle and doesn?t overpower the dish. Jasmine rice is often used in Thai and Chinese dishes. It is sold in both white and brown rice varieties.

Arborio ? Arborio is an Italian rice and is so named because of the town in which it is traditionally grown. It is most commonly used in risotto dishes as the rice is high in starch and results in a creamy texture.

Basmati ? Basmati rice is most commonly grown in the Himalayas, India and Pakistan. It is a fragrant rice that is most commonly used in Indian and Pakistani cooking.

How tall is my rice?

As rice comes in a variety of sizes it almost creates a bit of a dilemma trying to pick the right one for the dish you are preparing. Should you choose long grain, short grain or medium?

Essentially rice is classified according to the width of the milled grain to its height. For long grain rice for instance, it is three times as long as it is wide. For medium it is grains that are less than three times as long as wide and for short grain it is grains that are less than two times as long as wide. 

• Long grain rice varieties include basmati and jasmine
• Medium grain rice varieties include Arborio or Valencia
• Short grain rice varieties include sushi and CalRose

When it comes down to it though, in most cases it really won?t make too much of a difference to the final outcome of your dish so don?t worry too much if you can?t figure out which one to go with.

Some final tips? 

• In general, rice will triple in volume once cooked so one cup of uncooked rice can make up to 3 cups of cooked rice. Keep this in mind when choosing your cooking utensil as it will need to accommodate expanding rice.

• Leftover rice can be used in other dishes included fried rice and rice pudding so don?t let it go to waste.
• Instead of water, try boiling your rice in stock. This will enhance the flavor of the rice and make a dish even tastier.
• Store brown rice in the refrigerator to make it last longer.

Article provided exclusively to Nancys Kitchen by Only Cookware ? a guide to rice cookers and woks.