Recipe - Info - Rice

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Choosing the right rice for a recipe is simple: If your recipe calls for
rice that absorbs flavors well select a mildtasting white rice such as
Valencia. If you want one with a flavor that stands on its own pick an
aromatic rice such as basmati or Wehani. If chewiness is what you're
looking for choose a brown rice.

When it comes to texture remember this: Shortgrain rice cooks up sticky
medium grain, moist and tender; long grain dry and separate. * Most
healthconscious cooks prefer brown rice, which is less processed than
polished white rice and has twice as much fiber five times as much vitamin
E and three times as much magnesium. However, white rice is fortified with
iron and thiamine, which makes it superior in those nutrients. It has been
recommended that using both white and brown rice will add variety to your
menus.

Arborio: A mediumgrain, refined, white Italian rice used to make risotto.
Arborio develops a creamy texture and chewy center as it cooks.
Mildtasting arborio soaks up flavors.

Basmati: A longgrain aromatic rice grown in India and Pakistan. Available
brown or polished, basmati has a delicate nutty flavor and alluring scent.
Cooked grains remain separate and dry. Used in making Indian dishes
including pulao and biryani.

Black Japonica: A mediumgrain rice with a black bran that splits when
cooked to reveal a greyishwhite interior. Earthy tasting Black Japonica is
most commonly available in gourmet rice blends and is suitable for
stuffings and pilafs.

Brown Rice: Short, medium and long grain. Tan color, nutty flavor and chewy
texture. Shortgrain brown rice cooks up sticky and is perfect for making
sushi and other Japanese dishes and rice puddings. Cooked mediumgrain
brown rice is moist and tender, with a hint of stickiness. Longgrain brown
rice becomes fluffy and dry when cooked; grains remain separate. Longgrain
and mediumgrain brown rice are interchangeable in recipes and are ideal
for making fried rice, bean and rice dishes, stirfries, stuffings, pilafs
and salads.

Jasmine: A longgrain aromatic rice originally grown in Thailand and other
parts of Southeast Asia. Available brown or polished, jasmine is similar to
basmati but has a softer, starchier texture and a more flowery fragrance.
Jasmine is perfect in Thai curries and other Southeast Asian dishes.

Sweet Brown Rice: Not to be confused with shortgrain brown rice, sweet
brown or "glutinous" rice is sweeter and very sticky when cooked. It's most
often used in making desserts.

Valencia: A polished, mediumgrain Spanish rice used in making paella. Like
arborio, Valencia rice readily absorbs other flavors and has a core that
remains al dente when cooked.

Wehani: A longgrain aromatic rice with a mahogany colored bran. Wehani has
a nutty scent and buttery flavor, which makes it perfect for stuffings,
pilafs and salads.

Wild Rice: Not a true rice, wild rice is a type of aquatic grass seed. The
oneinchlong blackish brown grains have a distinctive woodsy aroma and
earthy flavor perfect for stuffings and pilafs. Grains cook up separate and
dry. Since it's expensive, wild rice is often blended with other rice
varieties.

To create the perfect pot of rice: Rinse rice in several changes of cold
water until water runs clear (omit this step if you're using white rice, as
rinsing washes away some of the enrichment). Transfer rice to a saucepan.
Add two parts liquid (water or stock) to one part rice, cover and bring to
a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20
to 25 minutes for polished rice; 40 to 45 minutes for brown rice. One cup
raw rice yields two cups cooked rice.
Posted to Digest eatlf.v096.n218

Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 09:04:17 0800

From: Reggie Dwork reggie@reggie.com