Natural Health October 2017

HEALTH & Wellness
in a wholegrain form, which has
a tendency to be lighter and faster
to cook than other brown rice. The
additional dietary favourable position
of basmati rice is that it scores low
on the Glycaemic List where its sugar
content is assimilated less rapidly into
the circulatory system (blood stream)
than other sorts of rice, and in this
manner it keeps blood-glucose levels
stable. Basmati rice ought to be washed
before cooking to dispose of the starchy
powder left over from processing.
Jasmine rice: Otherwise called
Thai fragrant rice, this is grown in
eastern Asia. It has a slight fragrance
and when cooked is marginally more
sticky than other long-grain rice. It goes
well with other Asian foods and is the
rice to use in Thai cookery.
Red cargo rice: This is a Thai
long grain milled to remove the outer
husk while retaining its layer of bran.
As a result, it has a reddish-brown hue
and contains more nutrients than regular
white rice. It requires a longer cooking
time and results in a chewier texture than
jasmine rice. Its nutty flavour makes it a
hearty accompaniment to curries, fish,
and meat. It can also be combined with
stir-fried vegetables for a filling salad.
Medium-grain rice
These rice variety contains
a starchy substance called
amylopectin, which causes
stickiness (long-grain rice has
considerably less of this starch).
After cooking, the individual
grains stick together, which is
the reason these rice are used
as a part of dishes where a
sticky or creamy texture is
needed, for example, risottos,
puddings and sushi.
Par-boiled rice: Occasionally
called converted rice or processed rice,
this is wholegrain rice that is soaked,
steamed and dried before processing
and cleaning. The process forces the
vitamins and minerals into the focal
point (centre) of the grain with the goal
that more are retained than in ordinary
white rice. The colour of this rice is more
golden than other white rice and it takes
longer to cook. Indeed, even with overcooking,
the grains will stay separate.
Quick-cook rice: Known as
simple or easy cook rice, this shouldn't
be mistaken for parboiled rice. Quickcook
rice is part-cooked in the wake of
processing and afterward dried, with
the goal that when you cook it, it takes
about a fraction of the time of standard
or ordinary long-grain rice. Quickcook
rice has lost most of its nutrients,
particularly the water-dissolvable B
vitamins, because of this
double-cook process.
Paella rice: From the Spanish
district of Valencia, this rice is used as a
part of the customary or traditional dish
of Spain, paella. It is a plump, shortgrain
rice like risotto rice, yet with a less
smooth or creamy texture.
Red rice: A wholegrain rice with
a red external skin, it has a nutty flavour
and marginally chewy texture. The
best quality red rice originates from the
Camargue region of France; other red
rices, made in North America,
are also available.
Risotto rice: The popular mediumgrain
rice of Italy, this rice has plump,
white, oval grains. When cooked with
fluid blended in slowly, the grains retain
their shape yet become creamy. Arborio
is the best-known about the risotto rices,
but of even better quality are Carnaroli
and Vialone Nano.
Rosematta rice: Grown in
India, matta or rosematta rice is a
medium grain with a reddish colour.
Its bran layer is full of natural nutrients.
Known for its robust earthy flavour, this
variety calls for meaty accompaniments
like lamb, beef, or game. It is well suited
to slow-cooking stews and rich curries.
Short and medium
grain rice
Sushi rice: A short-grain rice, it is
usually soaked and after that cooked by
the assimilation or absorption strategy.
Once cooled, it is flavoured with
sweetened rice vinegar and rolled up in
nori seaweed with different ingredients,
for example, raw fish or vegetables to
make sushi. It is the stickiness of the rice
which holds the sushi rolls together.
Basmati rice
Red Rice
Red cargo rice
Rosematta rice
Sushi rice
Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84
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