Rice- Healthy and Delicious

Rice, l love it! Fried rice, risotto, chicken with rice, they are all delicious, but what is rice and where does it come from? Rice is actually a grass and refers to two different species, Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima, with the first being most predominant. There are thousands of varieties of rice in existence with the white being the most commonly consumed. However white rice doesn't starts off white- it becomes white from processing whole grain rice. Whole grain brown rice comes in Basmati, Texmati, short sweet, short, medium and long grain versions. Whole grain rice also comes in black, red and purple varieties. In many cultures, rice means "life". Perhaps that's why it has been a staple of significant importance for centuries in many countries, including India, Korea, and China.

Nutritious value

Rice is an extremely healthy food, rice is hot fattening, it's what you add to it that gives you extra calories.
Rice is a complex carbohydrate, which means that it contains starch and fiber.
Complex carbohydrates are digested slowly, allowing the body to utilize the energy released over a longer period which is nutritionally efficient.
Rice has low sodium content and contains useful quantities of potassium.
Rice also contains B vitamins, thiamin and niacin.
An average portion of rice (50g) provide about 11% of the abut estimated average daily requirement of protein.
Those looking to reduce their fat and cholesterol intakes can turn to rice because it contain only a trace of fat and no cholesterol.
Rice is also gluten free, so suitable for coeliacs, and it is easily digested, and therefore a wonderful food for the very young and elderly.

Forms of rice: There's no reason to get bored with rice. It's no longer just a side dish to replace the potato. It's suitable for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Try it in cereals, soups, as a base for salads, in chili, ethnic dishes, and more. There are plenty of kinds of rice to choose from.

Jasmine White Rice: Jasmine rice also called fragrant rice is recognized world wide as Thailand's specialty. Thai Jasmine Rice belongs to the indica (long-grain) category and could be divided into 3 main categories as A, B and C according to their quality; Prime Quality, Superb Quality and Premium Quality. Jasmine Rice from Thailand is an aromatic rice with a strong aroma and taste that is unique. The rice looks much like southern long grain rice before and after cooking, but the amylase content is around 18% and so the texture is sticky, much like California medium grain rice. The rice is best consumed after new crop is harvested. The rice hardens in texture and loses aroma with time.

White Rice: White Rice belongs to the indica (long-grain) category. It is also known as polished rice or fully milled rice because most of the outer layer-the husk and the bran layer-are removed from the kernel, through the milling process. Regular-milled white rice, often referred to as "white" or "polished" rice is the most common form of rice. The outer husk is removed, and the layers of bran are milled until the grain is white.

Brown rice: Brown Rice belongs to the indica (long-grain), similar to white rice. The only difference between these two varieties is the milling. As a result, in brown rice, only the husk is removed while the bran layer remains. Because of the bran layer, brown rice contains more nutrients than white rice. In particular, brown rice is very high in fiber and vitamin B. Brown rice is by far the star of the rice family, containing high amounts of B vitamins as well as iron, protein, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and a variety of hard to obtain trace minerals.

Broken Rice: During the milling process, broken rice is separated from the white rice, who shape remains intact. In other words, broken rice is the damaged white rice. A grain of broken rice gives a low fiber texture and low nutrient level, while retaining its high energy content.

Short Grain Rice: This belongs to the Japonica (short-grain) category and has short, round, and plumpy dernel. When cooked, short-grained rice is stick together, although not as much as glutinous rice. In Japanese and Korean cuisine, short-grained rice is primary consumed in every meal.

Parboiled Rice: means non-glutinous rice that has passed through the parboiling process and has its bran removed. Parboiled rice are divided into different grades.

Broken rice: Rough rice that has gone through a steam-pressure process before milling. This procedure gelatinizes the starch in the grain, and ensures a firmer, more separate grain. Parboiled rice is favored by consumers and chefs who desire an extra fluffy and separate cooked rice.

Glutinous Rice also called sticky rice or sweet rice, consists of amylose and amylopectin starch. With a chalky white texture.

Rough (Paddy) Rice: Paddy rice is used to describe the rice as it comes from the field after harvest. The rice has been threshed and each grain is separate. The grain of rice has a hard husk protecting the kernel inside. The husk (or hull) that covers rice is much thicker and tougher than most cereal grain husks. Paddy rice is also called rough rice.

Precooked Rice: White or brown rice that has been completely cooked and dehydrated after milling. This process reduces time required for cooking.

Cooking methods of rice are mentioned below and to be honest l have never used the microwave method.

Absorption Method

Put 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water to boil
Stir in 1 cup rice
Cover tightly, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes
Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes before serving

Rice cooker Method

Put 1 cup of rice into rice cooker
Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water
Cover the rice cooker and turns it on
When it automatically turns off, do not lift the cover immediately. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes

Microwave Method

Put 1 cup of rice into a microwave container
Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
Cover with plastic wrap (or with cover) and cook on full power for 15 minutes
Remove from microwave and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving

How it is grown?

Methods of growing differ greatly in different localities, but in most Asian countries the traditional hand methods of cultivating and harvesting rice are still practiced. There are two types of growing rice in certain parts of the country.

1. Lowland rice:

The fields are prepared by plowing with simple plows drawn by water buffalo, fertilizing usually with dung or sewage, and smoothing by dragging a log over them. The seedlings are started in seedling beds and, after 30 to 50 days, are transplanted by hand to the fields, which have been flooded by rain or river water. During the growing season, irrigation is maintained by dike-controlled canals or by hand watering. The fields are allowed to drain before cutting.

Rice when it is still covered by the brown hull is known as paddy; rice fields are also called paddy fields or rice paddies. Before marketing, the rice is threshed to loosen the hulls- mainly by flailing, treading, or working in a mortar-and winnowed free of chaff by tossing it in the air above a sheet or mat. Other highly-developed countries plant the seeds using a drill in fields already leveled mechanically. Afterwards, it is flooded either by rainwater or by irrigation.

2. Upland rice: In places where there is no enough amount of moisture to nurture the crops upland rice method is used. Rice is planted on soil and its roots only extract nutrients depending on the nutrient content of the soil. This method produces less rice varieties since only a few amount of nutrients are available for the roots of the rice to extract when compared to paddy rice,where enough amounts of nutrients are extracted.

In both types of methods, rice could readily be harvested in about 3 to 6 months.

Brown Rice is a Lifesaver because it helps in:

Heart Health: Intake of brown rice lowers the cholesterol and is inversely related to not just cardiovascular related death but to all causes of death.

Cancer: Brown rice Contains plant lignins that help establish healthy flora in the human intestines credited with protecting against breast and other hormone dependent cancer as well as heart disease.

Alzheimer's: Researchers discovered in animal experiments that eating brown rice reduced learning and memory deficits brought about by beta-amyloid protein, considered to be one of the leading contributors to Alzheimer's dementia.

The most famous and least time taking recipe of Rice is Fried Rice.

Ingredients

2 cups of uncooked long-grain rice
1.5 cup of cubed ham
1.5 cup of already cooked shrimps
3 tbs of olive (or peanut) oil
3 lightly beaten eggs
1.5 cup of already cooked green peas
2 tbs of soya sauce (can be light sauce)

Method

Prepare by steaming the rice and letting it refrigerate for a good 2 hours or more. Start heating the Pan.
Fry the eggs in 1 tbs of oil, then put it aside. Add the remaining oil into the pan. Add rice and lower the heat and fry for five minutes. T
hen add the cubed ham, shrimps, green peas and the cooked eggs (after chopping).
Stir and cook/fry for a few minutes. Add and mix the soya sauce and it is now ready to serve.
Enjoy!