According to USriceproducers.com, rice is the main food eaten by half the world’s population with greater than 3 billion people worldwide depending on it as their staple diet.

With the current global craze for “super foods”, rice can perhaps be thought of as the original “super food” in that it is cheap, versatile, easy to store and use, and extremely nutritious.  It is a complex carbohydrate, cholesterol free, low in sodium and contains almost no fat.  It is also non-allergenic and gluten free.  Hooray for rice!

It is a standard go-to accompaniment to many dishes (think curries and chillies) but can also sing in its own right (paella, risotto and sushi to name a few examples).  The key to success is choosing the right rice for the dish.  With more than 40,000 varieties grown worldwide, you might think that would be almost impossible.  Fear not, however, as in fact at its base the choice comes down to either long or short grain rice and whether you want a rice which will be sticky (glutinous) when cooked or stay in separate grains.

What are the different types of rice?

I have set out below the most common forms of rice that you might encounter at the local (well stocked) supermarket.  If you have long and short grain rice in the cupboard and, should you want to cook risotto, paella or sushi, the particular rice for those dishes, you can’t go too far wrong.

Long Grain

Rice is largely classified by the size of the grain.  Long grain rice is (as the name suggests) long and slim with tapering ends. The rice stays separate and fluffy when cooked so it is ideal as an accompaniment to any dish with a sauce or as a side

Long Grain Easy Cook

Some supermarkets sell something called “easy cook” rice. In fact this is a misnomer as it is just as easy to cook it as the non-“easy cook” variety.  It has been parboiled at the source with the husk on so that when cooked, the grains of rice will stay separate and won’t stick together in a stodgy mess.  If you cook ordinary rice properly this shouldn’t happen anyway.

Short Grain

As the name suggests, this rice is shorter and rounder and the grains will stick together rather than stay separate when cooked.  It is excellent for rice puddings.

Basmati

This is the longest-grained variety of long grain rice.  The majority of it comes from India and Pakistan.  The name comes from the Hindi word bāsmatī which translates literally to “fragrant” and the rice has a distinct and pleasing fragrance. It is one of the best quality white rices and for this reason is more expensive than the common-or-garden long grain rice.  The grains should remain separate and fluffy when cooked. Ideally suited for savoury dishes, it is delicious with curries, pilafs and biryanis.

Jasmine

Another long grain rice, Jasmine rice comes predominantly from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.  It is also known as “fragrant rice” due to its perfume.  It has a slightly sweet flavour and although less sticky than short grained rice, it will be somewhat stickier than ordinary long grain rice and will have a softer texture once cooked.  It is used in Oriental cooking, especially stir fries and Thai curries.

Sushi

Sushi rice is a short or medium grain Japanese rice.  Unlike the long grained varieties, it is characteristically sticky and glutinous.  It tends to clump together and remain moist when cooked so is easily rolled or moulded into the different shapes required for sushi and easy to eat with chopsticks.

Brown

With the increasing emphasis on eating healthily, brown rice is now being used more and more frequently in recipes. It is a whole grain rice with the inedible outer hull removed. (White rice is the same grain but in addition to the outer hull, the bran layer and cereal germ have also been removed. In other words, the difference between white and brown rice is due to processing rather than variety). Brown rice takes longer to cook and is less digestible than white rice but it contains more fibre, vitamins and minerals, is more chewy and has a slightly nutty flavour.  It can be used as a substitute for long grain rice in most recipes.

Bomba (Paella Rices)

There are two main rices used for Paella – Bomba and Calasparra rice.  These are short grained varieties from Eastern Spain.  They have a pearl-white colour, a rounded shape and a uniform consistency. Bomba is able to absorb two or three times its volume in water without bursting, going mushy or changing shape. These varieties are used for paella and other Spanish rice dishes.

Arborio/Vialone Nano/Carnaroli

All of these rices have short grains, rounded in shape and are able to absorb large amounts of liquid.  The grain size and amount of starch differs depending on which of the three varieties you choose but essentially they are all great for risotti because of their relatively high starch content and it is a matter of personal preference as to which is best. The rice has a high amylopectin (starch) content. When cooked it is soft, creamy and has a slight chew at the center of each grain.

Black

Black rice (also known as “emperor’s rice” or “forbidden rice”) can come in a number of varieties.  It can be glutinous but there are also black jasmine rice varieties too. The colour comes from anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant which is also present in blueberries and eggplant.  It is high in nutritional value and is a source of iron and vitamin E and has a similar amount of fibre as brown rice.  For this reason, it is considered in China as an extremely healthy food.  Like brown rice, black rice takes longer too cook than white rice and aside from its nutritional goodness, it adds interesting texture and visual appeal to many dishes.

Red Camargue

This whole grain and nutritious rice originates from the Camargue area in the South of France.  It is similar to brown rice in that it has a somewhat nutty flavour but is softer in texture than brown rice when cooked.

Wild 

Wild rice is not in fact a rice but is a seed produced by certain types of grasses.  It is not related to rice but is a water grass grown in lakes and rivers.  It is more costly than rice as it is harder to grow and harvest. It has a chewy outer sheath and a tender inner grain.  Like brown rice it is high in nutritional value but has lower calories and carbohydrates and is higher in protein, zinc and potassium than brown rice.  It is often found pre packed in mixes of brown and white rice. Wild rice takes longer to cook than white rice and it is cooked when the grain bursts open.  A handful of cooked wild rice in a salad with white and/or brown rice adds a slight crunch and nutty flavour.

(Giant Black Wild Rice shown below)

How much rice will I need?

Rice doubles to between 2 and 3 times its original volume when  cooked.  A general rule of thumb is 75g (or roughly 1/3 of a Cup) per person if the rice is to be served as an accompaniment.

Should I rinse the rice before cooking it?

With long grained rices some people prefer to rinse the uncooked rice before cooking to wash off any dust and remove some of the starch so that the grains don’t stick together when cooked.  However, if you rinse the rice you also wash away some nutrients. It is really a matter of personal preference. Some cooks also recommend soaking the rice for 30 minutes before cooking.  I can’t usually be bothered doing this.

HOWEVER – short grain rice such as risotto and paella rice should NOT be rinsed as you want the starch to help produce a more creamy dish.

How to cook long grain rice?

The best way to cook white long grain rice (including Basmati and Jasmine rice) is the absorption method.

1.  Measure as much rice as you need for the number of people you are cooking for (see How much rice will I need? above) and rinse until the water runs clear.
2. Add the rinsed rice and and double the volume of water to a small saucepan with a lid.  So for example, if you are cooking rice for two hungry people you would rinse a cup of rice and then add the rice and 2 cups of cold water to the pan.
   
3. Bring the water to the boil then turn the heat down so the rice is very gently simmering over the lowest heat. Put the lid on the saucepan and simmer the rice for 10-12 minutes.  Don’t stir the rice as it will break up and release more starch into the water, making the rice gloopy. Check the rice after 10 minutes.  The water should have been absorbed and there should be little steam holes in the rice.
   
4. Gently fluff the rice up with a fork and serve.
   

Brown (whole) rice can be cooked the same way as long grain white rice but takes longer to cook.  Simmer for 20-25  minutes.

If you cook rice a lot you might want to invest in a rice cooker.  These generally switch off when the rice is cooked and keep it gently heated until you need it.