I know there are bits and pieces of information/discussions about rice
in some of the other  items, but I'm not recally all of the various
places at the moment...  So, hence, one  specific item for all things
rice...

Please feel free to post cool recipes, information, how to cook, etc
etc.

9 responses total.

As you all probably know by now, I'm trying to eat somewhat healthier as
well as trying  to reduce how much I'm spending on groceries.  I think
I'm trying to incorporate more  of, on a consistent regular basis, is
rice. But there's lots of stuff I don't know about this  particular item
[amongst others as well, which may become items of their own in the 
near future, as time permits].

So anyway, here's some basic info about rice from the whole foods
website:



Some Unique Rice Varieties

Forbidden Black
Legend says this rice was originally grown only for the emperors of
China. Purple-black  in color, it is prized for its fragrant aroma,
nutty taste and nutritional value. Kalijira Tender and sweet, this is
known as the "prince of rice." Highly aromatic, similar to  Basmati, its
tiny grains cook quickly, yet retain a firm, delicate texture. Imported
from  Bengal. Bhutanese Red Grown at 8,000 feet in the Himalayan Kingdom
of Bhutan, this premium heirloom rice  contains trace minerals,
resulting in a beautiful russet color and complex, nutty flavor. Black
Japonica A blend of 25% black short-grain japonica and 75% medium-grain
mahogany-red rice.  Chewy, but tender with a full flavor that's good in
stuffing or rice salads. Wehani  Rice This long grain rice has a red
bran layer. Its aroma while cooking is similar to hot  buttered popcorn.
Chewy and sweet, similar to the flavor of brown Basmati. Wild & Brown
Mix 20% lake-harvested wild rice and 80% long grain brown rice.
Parboiled to decrease  cooking time. A milder and more economical
alternative to wild rice. Wild Rice Blend A hearty blend of long grain
brown rice, sweet brown rice, Wehani  , japonica, and  wild rice. Types
of Rice

With different grain size, texture and flavor, each variety of rice
lends itself better to  certain types of dishes than to others. Just
think of the diverse characteristics of the  rice in favorite foods such
as paella, sushi, rice salad or a pilaf.

Long Grain
This is a generic classification for rice in which the milled grain is
at least three times as  long as it is wide. Though common varieties are
usually simply labeled "long grain,"  some specific varieties are:
basmati, Patna, Dehra Dun, Calmati, Carolina, Della,  Himalayan Red,
jasmine, jasmati, Louisiana pecan, American, javanica, bulu, wild 
pecan, Louisiana popcorn, Persian, ambar-boo, darbari, dom-siah, sadri,
rosematta,  Texmati, Thai black, Thai red, and Wehani .

Medium Grain
The generic size classification for rice whose grain is less than three
times as long as it  is wide. Medium grain rice is sometimes labeled
"Short Grain," simply to distinguish it  from Long Grain. Again, though
common varieties may only be labeled "medium grain,"  specific types
include: japonica, baldo, Turkish, bash ful, Bhutanese Red, mahogany-
red, bomba, CalRiso, Camargue, carnaroli, arborio, devzira, Egyptian,
Kalijira,  gobindavog, Italian, lido, roma, rosa marchetti, vialone,
Japanese, sweet, Spanish,  Valencia, Calasparra, Thai sticky, Vietnamese
red, and Vietnamese cargo.

Short Grain
This generic size classification indicates a grain that is less than
twice as long as it is  wide, yet often Medium Grain and Short Grain are
combined into this one category.  Once again, common varieties are
sometimes simply labeled "short grain," whereas  others are more
specific, such as: sushi, Balinese black, Balinese purple, CalRose, 
mochi gome, pearl, gerdeh, and pudding.

Polished Rice
Another name for white rice that has been polished to remove the bran
and germ.

Parboiled Rice
Slightly yellowish or beige in color, this type of rice cooks more
slowly than white rice,  yet many prefer its fluffy, separated texture
once cooked. It is produced by soaking,  boiling or pressure steaming,
then drying before it is milled, gelatinizing the starch in  the grain
and infusing some of the bran's nutrients into the kernel.

Converted Rice
This is parboiled rice (see above) that has been further pre-cooked so
that it does not  take as long to prepare in restaurants or at home.

Instant or Quick Rice
This is simply pre-cooked rice that has been dehydrated and packaged.
Though it takes  much less time to cook at home, the results are less
than favorable in both flavor and  texture.

Brown Rice
Also called "whole grain" rice, brown rice is much more nutritious than
white rice of any  kind. The difference is in the bran, which is the
brownish covering of the grain where  almost all the nutrients reside.
White rice is simply brown rice with the bran removed,  followed by
polishing. A wide selection of brown rices from basmati to sushi rice is
 readily available.

Wild Rice
Though it's called rice, and cooks much like rice, "wild rice" is not
actually rice at all. It  is the seed of a long-grain marsh grass native
to the area of the northern Great Lakes.  Its nutty flavor, chewy
texture and pleasing appearance makes a great addition to rice  pilafs
or simply cooked along with plain brown rice.

Nutrition Info

White Basmati Rice, White Jasmine Rice, White Texmati Rice

1/4 cup (dry) contains: (numbers based on Basmati)
calories        protein fat     carbohydrates   fiber   sodium
178     4 g     0.66 g  39 g    1 g     0 mg
Brown Rice: Basmati, Texmati, Long Grain, Medium Grain, Short Grain,
Sweet Brown

1/4 cup (dry) contains: (numbers based on long grain brown)
calories        protein fat     carbohydrates   fiber   sodium
171     3.6 g   1.3 g   35 g    1.6 g   0 mg
Wild Rice

1/4 cup (dry) contains:
calories        protein fat     carbohydrates   fiber   sodium
142     5.8 g   0.4 g   30 g    2.4 g   0 mg

We found several types of black and red rice (including whole-grain) at a
CHinese food store on Washtenaw just west of China Buffet.
Jim adds about 1/4 red or black to our brown and it gives lots of color.

Hmm, I'm not familiar with black or red rice. How's the taste? And is
the cooking time  about the same as the more traditional [to americans]
types of rice?

Once I have some $ for grocery shopping again, I hope to start checking
out some of  these ethnic stores [I know my SIL had been to that asian
store on Washtenaw].

We got whole-grain red and black rice and they cook same as brown.

And how does it compare in flavor? And nutritionally?  

Maybe a bit more flavor, mostly just a color difference.

And adding a bit of color can be a good thing--making a dish a bit more
appealing to the  eye...

It made for some odd looking tomato rice soup.

I love brown rice and was pleasantly surprised at lunch to day to
discover that Kai Gardens, the chinese restaurant that is close to my
new job, serves brown rice.

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