Rice is a healthy and tasty cereal. It contains many beneficial minerals and amino acids that a person needs in the early stages of life. It is no coincidence that rice is a part of the first permitted foods for children.
First of all, rice varies in shape. Round-grain is purchased for cereals, milk soups, puddings and risottos. The inside of the round rice has a soft and sticky core, which makes it boil quickly. The decoction of this rice is similar to milk, since the grains give off a lot of starch during cooking.
Long-grain rice is used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes, pilaf and various fillings are prepared. The long, narrow grain contains a dry vitreous core that prevents the rice from boiling over.
Rice is not only round and long. Grocery stores have long offered only these two varieties to their customers. There are many more types of rice on the market now.
Special attention is now paid to brown rice, which is not subjected to the usual processing. When threshing, the film is not removed from it, which contains almost all vitamins and trace elements. This kind of rice is incredibly healthy and very popular with healthy eating haters. Despite the fact that it is cooked for about half an hour, the grains do not stick together, and the necessary substances are not digested. By the way, the film on such grain can be not only brown, but also black, and even red.
Parboiled rice retains about 80% of the nutrients due to steaming. The grain takes a long time to cook (25-30 minutes), but remains crumbly. Dry parboiled rice has a yellowish tint, but becomes milky white during cooking.
Italian rice for risotto boils quickly, as it is very soft. Before cooking, it is not washed, and during cooking it is left a little undercooked - it comes very quickly on its own.
Spanish rice is good for both pilaf and paella. This grain can be either long or short. It absorbs water well, but does not stick together like Italian rice, but remains crumbly.
Rice for sushi (or sushi, as they say now) is a Japanese type of rice. It is a little harder than the usual round varieties, but during cooking it increases by 2-2.5 times. Before cooking from it, the rice must be rinsed well and left moist for an hour. Then you can cook it.
Basmati is a rice grown in India and Pakistan. This is the best long grain variety. It exudes a delicate, exquisite aroma and is extremely tasty. This is the best option for cooking all types of pilaf. Before cooking, it needs to be rinsed well and soaked for a while.
The peculiarity of Thai rice is that it belongs to the "sweet" varieties. This rice is good for side dishes and dessert dishes. You can cook it in advance, since it does not lose its taste for a long time after cooking. In order to preserve its unique taste, rice is first soaked for 7-8 hours and then steamed.
Dastar-saryk rice is the best rice in Uzbekistan. Before threshing this cereal, it is kept for several years, periodically watered with water. The grains become amber, which is considered a special delight. And pilaf made from dastar-saryk is just a delicacy. Before cooking, such rice is washed well and soaked in slightly salted water for 2 hours.
Devzira is also Uzbek rice. Its peculiarity is that it is covered with pink powder. Devzira grains perfectly absorb a large amount of liquid and oil, making pilaf from this variety very tasty. Devziru is prepared for cooking in the same way as dastar-saryk.
In Tibet, in remote places, black "forbidden" rice grows. It is a very rare variety and is harvested by hand. At the time of boiling (about 40 minutes), the black beans turn maroon.
Wild rice is only called that. In fact, this North American aquatic cereal has nothing to do with rice. However, this is an expensive, very healthy and tasty culture, from which you can prepare a lot of dishes. In ancient times, Indians worshiped wild rice and ate on great festivals. Now it is grown on the lakes of Canada. Before cooking, the wild rice is washed and soaked for an hour. You need to cook it for 45-60 minutes in a saucepan with the lid ajar.
Due to the variety of nutrients and amino acids, any rice is good for health. It should be included in the weekly diet of children and adults.
