The Ultimate Rice Cooker (7 page)

Calmati
,
Texmati
,
Kasmati
, and
Jasmati
are all domestic offshoots of the wonderful but more intensely flavored aromatics. Calmati is an Indian basmati crossed with regional varieties of Carolina long-grain grown in California. Texmati, a Texas long grain basmati adapted to the area, was bred twenty years ago by RiceTec, Inc., and was the first grain in their line of hybrids. Texmati is part of RiceSelect’s Royal Blend, a combination of white and brown Texmati with scarified wild rice, so that all the types cook in the same amount of time. Kasmati rice has a stronger aroma and firmer center of the grain, which is visible upon inspecting the individual grains. These three rices have basmati’s viscosity and cooking style, but smaller individual grains. Jasmati is Texas-grown Carolina long-grain rice crossed with Thai jasmine rice and our favorite of these aromatic offshoots; it cooks up softer, is snowy white, fragrant, and stays moist longer under refrigeration. It is recommended for rice puddings. All of these rices cook very quickly, like other long-grain white rices, with some rest time on the Keep Warm steam cycle at the end to set the starch. Look for RiceSelect brand, the marketing arm of RiceTec, Inc., formerly the Farms of Texas Company, the largest private rice research and plant breeding company in the United States. Located in the “rice belt” south of Houston, which covers an area from El Campo to Beaumont on the Gulf of Mexico, RiceTec contracts with small local farmers to grow their proprietary seed (the farms are in various locations to avoid total crop devastation in case of tropical storms). A 14-ounce box contains 2 cups of raw rice.

Della rice
is our homegrown American aromatic basmati grown in Arkansas, the landlocked area that is not a river delta but the Mississippi River basin, a prairie that is known for how well it holds water, irrigated by extensive ground wells. Decades ago, Lehman Fowler of the Southern Rice Marketing company planted a variety of Indian basmati seed that he adapted for growing conditions in the United States. It is marketed as a white and brown rice under the Della Gourmet trademark of Specialty Rice, Inc. (an offshoot of the now defunct Southern Marketing), along with domestic Arkansas jasmine, Texas Arborio, and domestic Koshi Hikari Japanese rice. Della basmati cooks up nice and dry with distinct grains and is a popular variety to cross with other rices (the different seed stock relatives of Della all have names like Delmont and Delrose, with slightly different characteristics). It is subtle, but still has that nutty basmati taste that is easy to eat alone. Della basmati has been nicknamed “popcorn rice.” The most notable American rice offshoots from the Della seed stock are Wild Pecan rice and Louisiana popcorn rice, both with the same faint characteristic perfume.

SHORT- AND MEDIUM-GRAIN RICES

The kernel of medium-grain rice is oblong and two to three times as long as it is wide. This is the standard rice to use for dessert rice puddings. The kernel of short-grain rice is almost round, but slightly oval, and almost as long as it is wide. It is also referred to as pearl rice. Short-grain white rice is rare to find. When the topic is Asian-style rices, the terms “medium-grain” and “short-grain” are used almost interchangeably. These rices are a must for sushi and rice balls.

American Rice

California-grown Calrose, a medium-grain
japonica
type rice, is the most commonly available medium-grain variety on the West Coast; in the East, southern medium-grain rice from Carolina is on store shelves.

Calrose is typically the lowest priced Japanese-style rice, but its popularity stems from more than its affordability. Like other Japanese-style rices, it has a smooth, moist texture that holds together nicely for chopsticks, and its soothing, mild flavor goes well with spicy foods. This is the rice some people make three times a day fresh for meals, eaten alone, without flavoring. In terms of a bland, clean taste, this rice is probably the best in the world. The kernels cling together and have a comforting tongue appeal. In a pinch, Calrose can be used for sushi (the better brands of Calrose rice can be quite good).One we like, with wide distribution, is Pacific International (formerly Homai).

CLICK TO SEE RICE AND OTHER COMMERCIAL GRAIN MIXES IN THE RICE COOKER

Calrose was the first Japanese-style rice available in this country, developed by the Rice Development research specialists of the University of California at Davis. It is one of two or three similar varieties grown in California. This rice needs a special temperate climate and is grown only in a few places in the world, including Japan, Korea, Australia, and some countries around the Mediterranean Sea (
see Italian Rice
). There is no effort to keep the varieties separate during milling and storage in California, so each bag contains a mixture of California rices.

In Asian markets in the United States, where the customers really know rice, price is a good general guide to quality. In fact, at some specialty Asian markets in our own San Francisco Bay Area, the prices of different brands of rice are written on a white board, erased, and rewritten as the market changes. Picky Japanese-American cooks now have many more varieties from which to choose. At the top of the line are Tamaki Gold (our favorite!), Tamanishiki, and other “premium” brands; even in large bags, they can cost about $1 a pound. They are great for sushi or special meals. As your rice palate develops, buy a bag of this premium rice to see if you can taste the difference.

Next come popular but more everyday brands with more moderate prices. Kokuhu Rose, Konriko, Nishiki, and other “new variety” rices are delicious examples. The term “new variety” (not the same as “new crop”) means it is a high-quality variety of American-grown Japanese-style rice. Many say “new variety” rice is better tasting than Calrose.

If you visit a Japanese market (in the U.S.) during the fall and winter months, you are likely to come across a display of banners proclaiming “New Crop Rice Is In.” New crop rice is just what it sounds like: the fresh rice from the new harvest. This rice contains more of its natural moisture; use less water to cook it. How much less? Every bag is different, and your first cup of rice from every bag will be your test batch. A general guide is to start off with water about ¼ inch below the correct line on your rice cooker bowl (about 1 to 2 tablespoons less water per rice cooker cup of rice; 2 to 3 tablespoons less per U.S. cup of rice). If your rice ends up mushy, reduce the water further; if it’s still too chewy at the core, increase the water.

Two coveted and expensive short-grain artisanal rices that were perfected in Japan over two thousand years ago, Koshi Hikari and Akita Komachi, have been planted successfully domestically. Koshi Hikari is being grown in Texas and marketed as sushi rice by RiceSelect and Della Gourmet. If you are a sushi lover or lover offine Japanese food, you will want to try these short-grain rices. For more information, see Japanese Rice.

Southern medium-grain rice
appears
to be the same as California medium-grain rice, since its shape and amylose content are the same. But it is not, because it is an
indica
variety, rather than a
japonica
, hence the protein content is a little higher, and it takes longer to cook. If you prefer the Japanese-style medium-grain rices, you will find southern medium-grain rices unacceptable since they cook up drier. Southern medium-grain rice is not as white, not as moist or sticky, and not as clean tasting. This is the type of rice eaten in the southern United States, Louisiana, some parts of Latin America, and Puerto Rico, with black beans, jerked meats, and spicy Caribbean sauces. Good brands include Riceland Plump, Tender Southern Star, Water Maid, and Uncle Ben’s Medium Grain (not a converted rice).

Italian Rice

Happily, Italian rice is widely imported today from the Po River region in northern Italy, so an excellent risotto is moments away. Risotto must be made with an Italian-type rice to achieve the proper texture. The rice is intentionally overcooked (by more than 15 minutes). The resulting product has a creamy, starchy surface but a firm bite through the center. Don’t rinse or wash Italian rice before cooking; the surface starch contributes to the creamy consistency of risottos, paellas, and puddings.

The most common Italian rice is Arborio, but there are two other lesser known regional varieties, Carnaroli and Vialone nano. Prevean Carnaroli, estate grown and milled in Argentina by the Preve Family of the Po River valley since 1905, is now being imported under the Lotus Foods brand. Arborio has a bigger kernel than regular medium-grain rice, with a distinct chalky center. Carnaroli is the most expensive of the triad and the most difficult to grow. Two domestic brands of Arborio, CalRiso by Lotus Foods and California Arborio by Lundberg, are grown in the Central Valley of California from
superfino
Arborio seed. Look for the word
superfino
on the package; it is the top grade.

Japanese Rice

Japanese rice is not usually exported but there is no lack of Japanese-style rices, since the American-grown varieties of these rices, like Calrose, are very popular and widely available. In California today there are several Japanese medium- and short-grain varieties being grown that are comparable to two of the most famous and coveted Japanese rices, Akita Komachi and Koshi Hikari, the seeds of which are now being cultivated in small crops in the United States as well.

Just when we had resigned ourselves to the fact that there was no Japanese rice exported, Beth had a sighting at one of our local Japanese markets of the artisanal rice Koshi Hikari, which poetically translates to “rice offering to the gods.” The price was steep: $30 for two kilograms. But, of course, we had to have a taste.

Often called the best rice in Japan, Koshi Hikari is the name of the variety, and it is truly an artisan product, tended and processed with extra care in lots as small as three acres. A short-grain rice, it is grown in Nigata prefecture, a small coastal area in central Japan on the Sea of Japan that is renowned for the quality of its rice. We found beautiful rice-paper bags of Koshi Hikari rice for sale around January and New Year’s, a prime season for gift-giving. It was delicious, a beautiful pearlescent oval, and very similar in flavor, texture, and style to our favorite U.S.-grown Japanese-style brand, Tamaki Gold. It is prepared in exactly the same way as other Japanese-style short- and medium-grain rices and is excellent for eating rice bowl style and for sushi.

Tamaki Gold, packaged by the Williams Rice Milling Company, is 100 percent Koshi Hikari. Less expensive Tamaki Classic is a blend of two varieties: the premium Akita Komachi and California Hikari.

If you want to try some of the world’s best imported Koshi Hikari sushi rice, you can mail-order it from Williams-Sonoma under the label of Kumai Harvest.

Spanish Rice

Spanish-grown rice is labeled paella or Valencia rice
(arroz a la Valenciana)
. Culti vated on the Mediterranean coast of Spain in Valencia and the Ebro River delta, it is increasingly available in this country. Other medium-grain rices can be substituted beautifully for this rice.

The other well-known Spanish rice is the unique Calasparra. A large-grained
japonica
called
bomba
, because of its size, it is now readily available from Williams-Sonoma. It is expensive because it is grown only in one small region outside of Valencia, stamped with a
denominación del origin
, a region of origin, like the rices imported from Japan. It is considered an artisanal rice by gourmet standards and is used to make paella. Be prepared for it to soak up a lot of liquid, more than you have ever seen a rice absorb, needed to soften the grains.

Indian Rice

When shopping in an Indian foods market, we found an astonishing array of miniature grain rices imported from various areas of India. While unfamiliar to most American cooks, these rices have their own charm and uses in regional cooking. Kalijira is a miniature basmati-type medium-grain white rice imported exclusively by Lotus Foods, and is the diminutive rice that has crossed over into specialty super markets. Like all true basmatis, its little needle-like grain elongates as it cooks, but plumps like a medium-grain rice at the same time. It is an ancient strain grown in Bangladesh and is so expensive that it is reserved only for holiday meals in that country. It is also grown across the border in Bengal, India, where it is known as
gobindavog
. Use Kalijira for special pilafs and dessert puddings.

Egyptian Rice

Egyptian-grown rice is a medium-grain
japonica
cultivated in the marshy Nile waters and is used for Turkish-style pilafs. While the grains are smaller than those of Arborio, they look similar, but cook up more like Japanese-style medium-grain rice. Use the same proportions as for Wild Pecan Rice and cook as for a pilaf using olive oil instead of butter. It is sold in Middle Eastern specialty food stores.

Sweet Rice

Sweet rice, also known as sticky, waxy, glutinous, pearl, or California mochi rice (it is known as
mochi gome
in Japan), is a real specialty item. These names are deceptive since sweet rice is only slightly sweeter than conventional rice, so most palates would not detect any sweetness. The nature of the starch is that it contains almost pure amylopectin, so the rice is very sticky indeed. Sweet rice is a
japonica
rice and a small number of acres in California is dedicated to this variety. It is usually steamed and used to make Asian-style desserts, stuffings, and cakes. It is made into noodles and sake, or is ground into flour. A good brand is Honen sweet rice, which can be found in Asian markets and larger supermarkets.