The Amazing World of Rice (2 page)

T
here are dozens and dozens of varieties of rice
, and many can be found in American markets. This glossary identifies those varieties and defines some of the many words and terms related to rice and its production.

 

Amasake:
a thick beverage made from cooked brown rice and
koji
(a mold used in making sake, miso, and soy sauce). Amasake has a fermented taste. It is available in health-food stores.

 

Amylopectin:
one of two types of starch typically found in medium-and short-grain rices (
see also
amylose). It is the waxier of the two starches and gives the cooked rice grains a stickier, softer consistency and tendency to cling. In some varieties, the uncooked grains appear translucent except for a solid white center, or pearl, as in rice used for risotto.

 

Amylose:
one of two types of starch found in long-grain rice. The drier of the two starches, it makes the rice cook into firm separate grains. The uncooked grains appear opaque.

 

Arborio:
the most popular Italian rice, used to make risotto. The grains are medium (although it is often called short-grain) and translucent, with a white center that
remains firm to the bite when cooked, while the rest of the grain softens and lends a creamy consistency to the risotto. Once grown exclusively in Italy, it is now raised in the United States as well.

 

Aromatic rice:
a broad term for a group of long-grain rices with a pronounced nutty aroma that comes from a naturally occurring compound (2-acetyl 1-pyrroline) found, in varying degrees, in all rice. Basmati, Della, and jasmine are a few examples of aromatic rice.

  

Baldo:
an Italian medium-grain rice sometimes used for risotto and, in some parts of Turkey, for pilaf. It cooks up soft and tender. Baldo rice is now being grown in limited quantity in Missouri.

 

Basmati:
a long-grain aromatic rice highly regarded for its fragrance, taste, long slender shape, and ability to elongate when cooked.
Basmati
means “queen of fragrance.” True basmati is grown in India and Pakistan, but many hybrids are grown elsewhere, including the United States. It's typically used in Indian pilaf.

 

Black rice:
found in both medium-and short-grain varieties, also called black japonica or black sticky rice. Grown mostly in Southeast Asia and in limited quantity in California and Italy, these rices are black from the layers of black bran that surround the endosperm, or kernel. Sometimes the kernel under the bran is white, so when it is cooked, the rice turns purple or lavender. Black rice is considered a delicacy in Asia and is reserved for celebrations or funerals. In Thailand, it is cooked with coconut milk and served with mango as a dessert. Use it in salads or stir-fries, but cook it separately and combine with other ingredients just before serving to prevent discoloring them. A nonsticky black rice, imported by Lotus Foods, is especially good in salads.

 

Bomba:
highest-quality medium-grain Spanish rice (though marketed as a short-grain rice), used in paella and other Spanish rice dishes. It is prized for its ability to absorb a large amount of liquid resulting in large, plump grains of highly flavored rice.

 

Brewer's rice:
broken rice used in beer brewing. Rice-based beer is light in flavor and golden in color. In the United States, 4 pounds out of the almost 27 pounds per person of rice consumed each year is utilized in beer production.

 

Brown rice:
All rice is brown before it is processed. Brown rice is rough paddy rice with the hull removed and the bran layers left intact. The bran, which contains
vitamins, minerals, and fiber, gives the rice a chewy texture and a nutty flavor. Brown rice requires longer cooking because the bran acts as a shield against the cooking liquid.

 

Calasparra:
a high-quality medium-grain Spanish rice (marketed as a short-grain rice) used in paella and appreciated for its tender bite and ability to absorb a large amount of liquid.
See
Bomba.

 

California medium-grain rice:
a japonica rice with a high level of sticky starch (amylopectin). It is used for sushi, paella, risotto, and desserts. Over 90 percent of California rice production is in medium-grain rice, much of it raised and milled to specification for export to Asia and Turkey (where it is used in pilaf).

 

Calriso:
from Bayliss Ranch in California, an Arborio-type rice that is a cross between a premium California medium-grain rice and Italian varieties. Use in risotto, soft pilafs, puddings, and paella.

 

Carolina gold:
a rare rice first cultivated in South Carolina during colonial times, named for its golden yellow kernels.

 

Camargue:
a medium-grain rice from the Camargue region in the southwest corner of Provence. It is uncommon in the United States, but when available here it has a red bran. In Europe, it can be found as a brown, red, and white rice. It is good served simply with olive oil, garlic, and herbs.

 

Christmas rice:
a speckled medium-grain rice with a red bran and an earthy taste from the creative Lundberg Family Farms in California. Use it in stir-fries, salads, and pilaf.

 

Converted rice:
a registered trademark of Uncle Ben's.
See
parboiled rice.

 

Della:
a long-grain aromatic rice. These rices are sold under such names as Texmati, Wild Pecan, Konriko, and Delta Rose, among others. Use them to make pilaf, steamed rice, or baked rice. Often compared to basmati, but they do not elongate.

 

Enriched rice:
when the bran is removed, many nutrients are stripped from rice. In the United States, white rice is enriched with a thin topical coating of nutrients, including iron, niacin, thiamin, and folic acid. If the rice is rinsed before cooking, or cooked in a large amount of water and then drained, this enrichment is lost.

 

Golden rice:
a controversial new type of rice genetically engineered to contain beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A.

 

Glutinous rice:
A term used to describe waxy rice with 100 percent amylopectin, and a sticky texture. Also called sticky, sweet, or waxy rice. A specialty of Thailand and other Asian countries. The name is confusing because glutinous refers to the gluey texture of the rice, not its gluten content. (Rice does not contain gluten, a protein found in wheat.)
See
sticky rice, sweet rice, or waxy rice.

 

Indica:
one of the two main groups of
Oryza sativa
(the other is japonica). Indica rices are generally long-grain with a higher percentage of amylose, or dry starch, than japonicas. They are successfully grown in hot tropical and semitropical conditions. Della, basmati, and other aromatic rices are all considered indicas.

 

Jasmine:
a fragrant medium-to long-grain rice that cooks into a moist, tender grain. Considered the rice of choice in Thailand, it has more amylopectin, or sticky starch, than dry starch. Native to Asia, it is also grown in the United States.

 

Japonica:
one of the two main groups of
Oryza sativa
(the other is indica). Japonica rices are generally medium-to short-grain, with a higher percentage of amylopectin, or waxy starch, than indicas. They are grown in cooler climates and mountainous regions. Japanese rices (many not exported to the United States), Arborio, and other risotto rices, Kokuho Rose, CalRose, Nishiki, and other Japanese-style rices grown in California are all japonicas.

 

Kalijira:
also called baby basmati and known in India as
gobindavog
. The grains look like miniature basmati rice grains, and, when cooked, have the same pleasant aroma and firm but tender texture. Available from Lotus Foods.

 

Long-grain rice:
refers to rice varieties that are four to five times longer than they are wide. Long-grain rices contain more amylose, or dry starch; the grains cook up dry and separate. Basmati is a type of long-grain rice.

 

Medium-grain rice:
refers to rice varieties that are less than two to three times longer than they are wide. Contain more amylopectin, or sticky starch; the grains cook up soft and tender. These rices readily absorb other flavors, which is why they are popular for paella and risotto. Examples are Arborio and Baldo.

 

Mochi:
a sweet treat made in Japan from soaked and cooked short-grain sweet rice that is pounded until perfectly smooth, then rolled into small balls or other shapes.

 

Oryza sativa
:
Latin botanical name for rice, a semiaquatic member of the grass family.

 

Paddy rice:
See
rough rice.

 

Parboiled rice:
rice that is steam pressure–treated before milling, forcing all the nutrients from the bran layer into the endosperm. Hundreds of years ago the process of parboiling was practiced in India and Asia by soaking the rice and then heating it over hot coals. The United States industrialized parboiling during World War II to provide a nutrient and stable grain to the United States armed forces. It was marketed commercially by Uncle Ben's as converted rice, a registered trademark. Parboiling greatly reduces breakage during milling, but many cooks, especially in food service, prefer it because it always cooks firm and can stand for long periods of time without getting sticky. It has a creamy tan color and a less sweet, starchy flavor than plain milled rice.
See also
rosematta.

 

Paella:
a popular rice dish that originated in Valencia in southeast Spain. It can be a simple dish of rice, beans, snails, and duck or rabbit, or a more elaborate one with shellfish, sausage, artichokes, and saffron. Bomba, Calasparra, and Valencia, three Spanish rices available in the United States, traditionally are used to make paella, but any medium-grain rice can be used.

 

Pilaf:
a Middle Eastern dish of rice sautéed in fat (butter or oil) and then cooked in broth that often includes vegetables and/or meats. Typically it is made with long-grain rice, but medium-grain rice is sometimes used in Turkish pilaf. Pilaf is from the Turkish word
pilau
or
pilaw
.

 

Popcorn:
a term used to describe the aroma of aromatic rices. The aroma comes from a naturally occurring compound—2-acetyl 1-pyrroline—found in all rice, popcorn, and some nuts.

 

Red rice:
aromatic rice with a reddish-brown bran layer, a nutty taste, and a chewy consistency. Look for American-grown Wehani, Bhutanese red rice (imported by Lotus Foods), or red Camargue (from southern France) in specialty markets. Excellent in salads, pilaf, soups, and side dishes.

 

Retrogradation:
a term describing what takes place when cooked rice is refrigerated and its texture changes from soft and tender to hard and chewy. Technically, the starch cells collapse, squeezing out the moisture and causing the realignment of the
starch molecules. The process cannot be prevented but it can be reversed by reheating the rice.

Rice bran:
the tan nutrient-rich outer layer that gives brown rice its color. High in nutrients such as thiamin, niacin, vitamin B
₆
, iron, potassium, and fiber, rice bran is used in cereals, baked goods, and vitamins. Studies suggest that the oil in rice bran may have cholesterol-reducing properties. Rice bran is perishable; buy it at a reputable health-food store with a good turnover and refrigerate once the package is opened.

 

Rice flour:
finely ground rice, used in baked goods, breakfast cereals, pancake or waffle mixes, pasta, and snack foods. It is gluten-free and therefore cannot be substituted for wheat flour without adjusting the recipe.

 

Rice hull:
rice's inedible outside covering, or husk. Rice hulls are burned as a source of fuel, used as mulch, and are also used in manufacturing.

 

Rice paper:
edible rice paper is made from rice flour and water, formed into translucent sheets that are supple when wet, brittle when dry; used as wrappers in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. Rice paper also refers to a decorative paper known for its textural beauty; it is made from the pulp of a scrub called the rice paper tree, related to the mulberry bush. Rice straw and hulls are also used to make decorative papers.

 

Rice syrup:
a mildly sweet syrup with the consistency of honey, made from rice fermented with enzymes from sprouted barley. Mostly used in the food industry as a coating for snack foods.

 

Rice vinegar:
vinegar made from fermented rice. Japanese rice vinegar is light and mild. Chinese rice vinegar is sharp and sour.

 

Rice wine:
wine made from fermented steamed rice. Sake and mirin (a sweet wine used in cooking) are two Japanese rice wines. China and other rice-growing cultures make a variety of alcoholic beverages, including beer and brandy, as well as wine, from fermented rice.