Rice, Asia's daily bread
In Asia, rice is considered a gift from the gods. Consumed daily in dizzying quantities, it has a wide range of characteristics. From black to the purest white, it shows us all its colors and reveals a wide variety of flavors.
Worshipped rice
Naturally black, not to be confused with squid ink rice. Full-bodied and delicately flavored, it can easily be adapted to original recipes .Native to China, venerated rice was exclusively reserved for the ancient Chinese emperors, hence its name Forbidden Rice. According to legend, it was prized for its nutritional and aphrodisiac properties. Today, it is grown in the Po Valley. It is a whole-grain parboiled rice, rich in fiber, phosphorus (46% of RDA*), magnesium (34% of RDA*) and B vitamins (16% of RDA*).
Naturally black, venerated rice is ideal for original recipes. Pleasantly fragrant, its aroma is reminiscent of sandalwood and freshly baked bread. Ready in 18 minutes (al dente version), it enjoys the marriage of flavors and colors. You'll create refined recipes with all kinds of meats, fish and shellfish. Or try it simply boiled, then sautéed in a pan with oil or butter.
A great family
Generally speaking, rice is not a homogeneous family, even if all varieties belong to the same species (oryza sativa). First of all, it can be sold in different forms: the grains are sold with the hull, rich in nutrients, and the embryo: this is known as plain rice or unpolished rice. More commonly, rice grains are husked and polished in mills, so that they are perfectly white. This process eliminates many nutrients. Hulled rice, on the other hand, keeps much longer, and doesn't go rancid as quickly.
It does have a grain
Rice is generally characterized by its grain: round-grain, medium-grain and long-grain. Within these varieties, there are glutinous and non-glutinous varieties. They are also differentiated by their starch composition. When glutinous rice is cooked in water, it can turn into a gelatinous mass. This is how it is prepared for sweet dishes in South Asia, for example. When served as a side dish, however, glutinous rice is traditionally steamed to preserve the shape of the grains.
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