What is rice?
Rice is staple food that is consumed by the majority of the world’s population. There are over 120,000 types of rice in the world, each with their own slight nuances. This ultimate rice guide will help give a strong foundation of what rice is. We will go over the primary differences in types of rice and their best use cases.
Rice is a grain that is the edible part of the grass Oryza sativa (Asian rice). When harvested from the fields in its raw form as “rough rice” also known as “paddy rice”.
Anatomy of rice
Hull – AKA the “husk” of the rice. This part is hard and must be removed before being eaten.
Bran – the second layer that is only removed in certain types of rice. The bran provides several nutrients and is considered the ‘whole-grain’ section of the rice. It provides color to the rice and may appear brown, red or black. This layer is always removed in white rice.
Endosperm – By itself, this is commonly referred to as ‘white rice’. It is the least nutritious part, but it provides the majority of the starchiness.
Germ – A small kernel. It is packed with oils, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and protein.
Removing layers of the rice will result in different products that you see in common grocery stores. If all the layers are removed and the only component left is the endosperm, this is what we refer to as ‘white rice’. Keeping the bran and germ will retain most of the nutrients that rice provides and results in a colored rice (brown, red, or black). A pictorial representation is shown below.
Three Primary Types of Grain
Rice can come in all shapes and sizes…The most common classifications on types of grain are based on their length.
- Long grain – 3-4 times as long as they are wide. The most popular types of long grain rice that you may be familiar with are Jasmine and Basmati rice. Once cooked, long grain rice tend to be a fluffier, more independent (not clumpy) food.
- Medium grain – between the length of long and short grain. Seriously, this is the ambiguous definition. Some medium grains may even be shorter than short grain rice. I would not worry too much about the technical definition. Simply put, medium grain rice tends to have properties in between that of long and short grain.
- Short grain – Rounder and look stubby. Short grain rice tends to have more starch than long grain rice. This is the reason why they are great for dishes that require a stickier, clumpier and creamier texture.
Most Popular Types of Rice
Now that we know the effects of grain size on the texture of the dish, we can select a type of rice for flavor. Since there are tens of thousands of different species of rice, we will cover the most common one’s easily found in the grocery store.
Brown and red rice was not included as a section in this article as most rice varieties can come in a brown or red form. It is simply the same grain with the with bran and/or hull still attached. This allows brown and red rice as an alternative to white rice in most recipes (the flavor profile will change a bit). Furthermore, this variety offers more nutrients and causes a chewier texture at the cost of longer cook time.
Jasmine Rice
If you ever go to a Chinese restaurant and receive a bowl of rice, chances are it is jasmine rice. This breed of rice originated from Thailand (but can be found all over Southeast Asia). Jasmine rice is a long grain white rice that is known to be one of the most fragrant. It is commonly used in fried rice or (Thai and Southeastern) curry recipes, and is known for its floral, sweet and nutty flavor profiles (almost like buttered popcorn). When cooked, it delivers a light, fluffy, and delicate texture. Since this is a long grain rice, it will not stick to each other as much as its other rice colleagues.
Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Basmati Rice
Similar to jasmine rice in looks, but having its own unique flavor profile, basmati rice is another aromatic rice that is grown mostly in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. It contains a pandan-like flavor, but is also nutty and floral. Cooked basmati rice is typically more firm, independent and fluffy compared to its Jasmine counterpart. As such, it is a drier rice and is able to soak up more flavorful sauces. It is for this reason that basmati rice is preferred in Indian cuisines (Biryani and curries are most popular).
Narwhal Foods, CC BY 3.0
Wild Rice
Is a grain with the second highest protein content per 100 calories and does not contain gluten. Wild rice contains a thicker hull and is a longer, narrower rice compared to white rice. It contains a nutty, earthy flavor with a chewier texture (great for adding texture into soups and stuffing). When preparing, wild rice requires a longer time to cook and will approximately triple in size.
Calrose Rice
Calrose rice originated from California (Cal-) and has a similar grain size to the “Blue Rose” (-rose) rice from Louisiana. This medium grain-sized rice becomes soft and slightly sticky (hold together well) when cooked. Its mild flavor and ability to easily absorb flavors makes it a great candidate in sushi, poke bowls, salads or simply as sticky rice.
Sushi Rice
Sushi rice is extremely similar to Calrose rice. The major difference between the two is that sushi rice is a short grain rice. As such, it provides a stickier, creamier texture that is more ideal for specific uses like sushi. Calrose will lack the smoothness that sushi rice provides, however, it can be used as a substitute when needed. It is often used instead of sushi rice in most American restaurants.
Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
Arborio Rice
Named after the Italian region of origin, arborio rice is a short grain rice well known for its use in risotto. It undergoes less milling than long-grain rice and therefore retains a higher starch content. This allows it to maintain a creamier and firmer texture with a nutty flavor profile. Although famously known for risotto, arborio rice can be used for any dish that requires a creamy texture. It is a rice type that does not require rinsing, as it would remove the starch coating that gives the creaminess. Rinsing should only be done if the recipe asks for a fluffier, loose short-grain rice.
Schwäbin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Black (Forbidden) Rice
Known for its numerous health benefits, black rice has been increasingly considered a “superfood”. Since black rice is a generic term for its color, it may come in long-, medium-, or short-grain variety. It is free of gluten and gets its black color from its high anthocyanins content – an antioxidant pigment that gives black rice several of its health benefits. When cooked, black rice turns into a dark purple color with a chewy texture and nutty taste. It is commonly used in soups, salads, and desserts.
Courtesy of depositphotos.com
Parboiled Rice
Parboiled rice has an extra processing step wherein the rice is boiled prior to removing the inedible husk. This allows some of the water soluble nutrients from the bran to be transferred into the endosperm. For this reason, parboiled rice has a darker yellow color and it is why it contains more nutrients than plain white rice (less than brown rice). It is quite similar in all aspects to its corresponding white rice counterparts; however it typically has a longer cooking time (shorter than brown rice).
Narwhal Foods, CC BY 3.0
Bomba/Valencia Rice
Also known as Valencia Rice, bomba rice is a short-grain rice primarily cultivated in eastern Spain. It is well known for use in paella as well as Valencian cuisine (hence the alternate name). Similar to its short grain counterparts, it contains a lot of starch; however, most of it is found within the center of the grain. This allows the rice to absorb three times its volume in liquid (versus the traditional two times). Having most of the starch in the middle also allows the rice to maintain firmness and not break down as easily. This allows the rice to remain separate and not sticky/mushy compared to other short grain rice.
J.P.Lon, CC BY-SA 4.0, zoomed in from Wikimedia Commons
Tips for Cooking Rice
Washing
From production to packaging and to your local grocery store, rice grains rub off excess starch on each other, providing an external coating. Rinsing rice before cooking will both remove any impurities (dust, grit, debris, etc) and also importantly removes much of the excess starch. The more starch that is removed from rice prior to cooking, the less sticky and more fluffy the final product will be.
Unwashed rice that is cooked will result in a sticky, mushy, gummy texture. It is for this reason why several individuals prefer to wash their rice until their water is clear. While this extent is not completely necessary, one can play around with the density of starch in the water to get an idea of how sticky their rice will turn out!
Note that for specific dishes that want a stickier texture (i.e. sushi, risotto, rice porridge, etc), it is still a good idea to wash the rice at least once to rinse off unnecessary debris. Since these dishes benefit from the stickiness, one should take note how much starch should be washed off.
Water and Timing
While there are different types of methods to cook rice, one thing is always certain – you need water. Since there are several varieties of rice that are all processed differently, the amount of water and time to cook the ideal texture and flavor will fluctuate.
Both the water and cooking time are dependent on the amount and type of rice. White rice generally cooks the quickest as it is simply the bare endosperm, whereas something like brown rice contains the extra bran layer that also needs to cook. A summary of the suggested water and cooking times can be found in the table in the Summary Table section. It is important to note that the method of rice cooking can play a part in the amount of time and water.
Summary Table
Below is a table summarizing the most important information for the variety of rice types. Please note that the water to rice ratio are for a stove-top cooking method. Note that these are approximate values and can be adjusted depending on if the desired outcome is a wetter or drier rice. The water ratio and cook times are both based on the most common dishes used for each type of rice. If following a specific recipe, it is best to follow the given ratios and times there. For experimentation and going wild, the table below is a good place to start :).
When using a rice cooker, the amount of water required may sometimes be found in the manual. The “typical” rice:water ratio is 1:1 in a rice cooker.
| Rice | Grain type | Water:Rice | Cooking Time | Common Uses | Texture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Rice | Long | 1.25-1.5:1 | ~20 minutes | fried rice, curry, Thai cuisine | light, fluffy, independent | floral, sweet, nutty (like buttered popcorn) |
| Basmati Rice | Long | 1.5:1 | ~20 minutes | Indian cuisine, biryani, curries, dishes with sauces | light, fluffy, independent | pandan, nutty, floral |
| Wild Rice | Long | 4:1 | ~50 minutes | Meatballs, stuffing, soups, stews | chewy | nutty, earthy |
| Calrose Rice | Medium | 1.5:1 | ~20 minutes | sushi, poke bowl, salads, sticky rice | soft, slightly sticky | neutral (great for absorbing flavors) |
| Sushi Rice | Short | 1-1.2:1 | ~20 minutes | sushi, onigiri, poke bowls | sticky, creamy | neutral (typically flavored with sugar and/or vinegar) |
| Arborio Rice | Short | 2:1 | ~25 minutes | risotto, dishes with creamy texture | creamy, slightly firm, slightly sticky | nutty |
| Forbidden (Black) Rice | Long, Medium, Short | 2-3:1 | ~35 minutes | soups, salads, desserts | chewy | nutty, earthy sweet, savory undertones |
| Parboiled Rice | Long, Medium, Short | 2-2.5:1 | ~25 minutes | depends on rice type (this variety provides more nutrients) | fluffy, bit firmer than white rice | between neutral of white rice and nutty of brown rice |
| Bomba (Valencia) Rice | Short | 3:1 | ~ 20 minutes | paella, Spanish cuisine | firm, loose | neutral, great at absorbing other flavors |
