Wealth of forms
Long grain rice is considered classic. This is what we use most often for cooking different dishes. It can have a different shade: saturated white or translucent. In such rice there is amylose - a special polysaccharide, which answers for friability. Therefore, such a rice is excellent for salad garnitures.
Round grain desserts are rich in starch, so this rice has a high stickiness. That's why it is often used for making sushi, casseroles, pudding and other desserts. In our country only such sort of rice is produced.
Medium grain rice is the golden mean: it does not stick together at the slightest touch, but it is soft enough. Therefore, very often it is used for cooking porridge, paella and risotto.
The shelf life of rice can reach six years. But it's better to buy such rice, which is a year and a half. Then it will be faster to cook and its taste will remain better.
Choose by color
Brown (brown). The shell of the grain in such rice is not completely removed. Due to this, all useful substances are stored: B vitamins, fiber, copper, iodine, zinc. Studies have shown that brown rice enhances intelligence, improves memory and strengthens the nervous system.
Wild rice . In fact, it's not really rice, it's seeds of North American grass, which has a pleasant sweet sweet taste, nutty aroma and a lot of protein, and also vitamins of group B, phosphorus, sodium, manganese and zinc. Especially useful is a wild mix with lentils and beans, as these products contain glutamine and asparagine, which are not found in this rice.
Black Tibetan is distinguished by its delicate exquisite taste and color. It contains a lot of protein, about twice as much as in ordinary rice varieties. Welding such a rice does not stick together, and the decoction of it produces a beautiful purple color.
Red rice is grown in Thailand and France. It has a strong nutty flavor and taste. Therefore, if you do not like nuts, it is better for you to abandon the tahoris. Red rice is rich in antioxidants and well sticks together when cooking.
Devzira is still one unusual type of Central Asian rice, which is often used for cooking true Uzbek pilaf. It is rich in iron and vitamins of B group. Grains have a dense structure and a pinkish hue. But when cooking the grain, the whites are stick together. To maximally enjoy the taste of this rice, it should be soaked in warm brackish water for two to three hours.
Basmati is an Indian crumbly variety of rice. It is considered one of the most refined and fragrant varieties of rice in the world. This basmati is grown only in a water place - at the foot of the Himalayas. After the collection he is not in a hurry to pack up, but give a year to him to gain maturity. Due to the fact that the grains of such rice are not polished, it retains more useful substances than other rice.
Thai sweet rice is a very sticky rice and has a sweet aftertaste. Therefore, it is used for preparing various desserts and Asian dishes. For example, for rice balls or for sweet rice with mango. Before cooking, this rice is better to soak for a couple of hours in water or cook it for a couple.
To the note . If you do not know if it's worth to soak rice before cooking, then we'll give you a clue. Everything is very simple. If you are going to prepare a normal side dish, then you can not soak. If you are going to make pilaf or risotto, then you need to rinse it first and keep it in clean salted water for about half an hour.
Grind or soar?
White rice is processed in two ways: steamed or polished. Each method has its own characteristics. Grinded rice is less useful than steamed rice, because during processing with rice grains remove the shell, which contains most of the vitamins and nutrients. But such a rice is quickly prepared, so it is very popular in Asia and Europe. Steamed rice preserves up to 80% of useful substances due to the fact that it is processed by steam. When cooking rice grains do not stick together and remain stiff, and also change the color from amber to white.
Four varieties for the lovers of risotto
A properly prepared risotto is considered when rice is cooked, but has a hard core. To check if it is correct, squeeze it with your thumb and index finger. If the grain is divided into 3-4 semi-solid pieces, then you welded the rice correctly. If the grain has turned into a flat cake, then, unfortunately, you have digested.
- Arborio is a very starchy rice, thanks to which a creamy, gentle risotto is obtained. Arborio is not boiled much, therefore it is suitable for many dishes.
- Vialone nano - perfect for those who firstly decided to cook a risotto. This sort of rice absorbs more liquid than arborio. It is more suitable for less creamy and greasy risotto, for example, with seafood.
- Carnaroli - appeared as a result of crossing the vialon with a Japanese variety. He is also called the king of Italian rice. This variety is not only the most universal, but also the most expensive. Due to the fact that it absorbs moisture well, in the process of cooking carnaroli increases 4 times, at the same time it has a delicate texture. But if you are new to cooking risotto, then better choose a different kind of rice, as this is easy to digest.
- Padano is one of the oldest varieties for risotto. Suchrisis is also suitable for preparing rice soups.
How to choose goodris?
From what kind of rice you choose, the taste and the quality of your dish will depend. Therefore, when buying rice, be careful. It is better to give a preference for rice by weight or to that which is packaged in a transparent package. This will allow us to better consider the grain. Good rice should be opaque or translucent. All the seeds should be the same size. Different grains indicate that the groats are made up of different batches. This can affect the cooking time - because rice can be of different ages. And as mentioned above, the age of rice affects the time of its preparation. Thus, some of the rice can be boiled, and some - undercooked.
If you buy rice by weight, then definitely try it "in the teeth." Quality rice will always be hard and it will not be easy to grasp. And even if you bite it, it never crumbles in your mouth.
As you can see, varieties of rice are different. Depending on the grade, the rice has a different taste and color. In addition, not all varieties are suitable for preparing the same dish. Fortunately, in supermarkets today you can find the rarest varieties and cook delicious dishes from them. Also, it should not be forgotten that rice is not only delicious, but also useful. It contains a lot of vitamins. Therefore, be sure to include this product in your diet.