Types of Rice
There are a wide variety of rice in the market. What makes one variety
different from another? When to use a particular rice variety and how
it will cook is always a question we receive from consumers. Here is a
brief explanation of the varieties of rice.
Short and Medium Grain is the main type of rice used in Japanese
cooking: plain rice, sushi rice and many menus. Brown rice is popular
amongst health-conscious people. Sweet rice is used for Mochi, a sticky
Japanese rice cake and glutinous rice menus (like Sekihan).
Short Grain White Rice
Short grain white rice is characterized by round, semitransparent
grains, and is the main type of rice used in Japanese cooking. However,
there are other varieties of rice sold that will also produce good
results, such as Nishiki, the medium grain rice. Other than being eaten
plain, rice is mixed with vegetables, chicken, and beans, and is used
in sushi and donburi dishes.
Short grain rice has a short, plump, almost round kernel. Cooked grains are soft and cling together.
- Tamanishiki Super Premium Short Grain Rice
Medium Grain Rice
Medium grain rice has a shorter, wider kernel than long grain rice.
Cooked grains are more moist and tender, and have a greater tendency to
cling together than long grain.
- Nishiki Premium Grade Medium Grain Rice
- Nagomi - Premium Sushi Rice
- Ichiban - Premium Sushi Rice
Brown Rice
The kernels of rice have had only the hull removed. Cooked brown rice
has a slightly chewy texture and a nutty flavor. The light brown color
of brown rice is caused be the presence of bran layers which are rice
in minerals and vitamins, especially the B-complex group.
- Nishiki Quick Cooking Whole Grain Brown Rice
Sweet Rice
Sweet or glutinous rice is short and plump with a chalky white, opaque
kernel. When cooked, this rice loses its shape and is very glutinous. - Hakubai - "Mochigome" Enriched Sweet Rice
In Japanese cuisine, Long Grain rice or aromatic rice is not consumed
so much because of its light, fluffy texture and aroma. But these are
good for Chinese and southern Asian cuisine.
Long Grain Rice
Long grain rice has a long, slender kernel, four to five times longer
than its width. Cooked grains are separate, light and fluffy. Most
Chinese restaurants serve long grain rice with the meal. Long grain
rice is perfect for rice pilaf dishes.
Basmati Rice
An aromatic rice native to Pakistan and India. It is also grown in the
United States. It has a natural flavor and aroma similar to that of
roasted popcorn or nuts. When cooked, the grain swells only lengthwise,
resulting in long, thin grains. When cooked, the grains are dry and
separate.
Jasmine Rice
An
aromatic rice grown in the United States and Thailand. It has a flavor
and aroma similar to that of roasted popcorn or nuts, and a soft, moist
texture that clings together.
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