What’s the difference among rice categories and types?
Published November 1, 1993. From Cook's Illustrated.
Categories:
According to the USA Rice Federation, there are thousands of varieties of rice in the world, grown on every continent except Antarctica. In the United States, rice is generally classified in three categories: long, medium, and short grains. As the names suggest, the categories are differentiated primarily by the size and shape of the uncooked grains, but they also have different cooking characteristics.
Rice contains two starches, amylose and amylopectin. The ratio of these starches determines the textural properties—from separate and fluffy to sticky and gummy—of the rice when it is cooked. Though there are exceptions to the rule, it is generally recognized that rice with a higher amylose content cooks into grains that are separate, light, and fluffy. Uncooked, those grains appear somewhat translucent. Rice with a lower amylose content cooks into grains that are more moist and tender, with a greater tendency to cling together. Uncooked, these grains appear more opaque.
Generally, long-grain rice has long, slender kernels that are four to five times longer than they are wide. Long-grain rice contains the highest percentage of amylose, which sources at the USA Rice Federation and the Texas A&M University Rice Experiment Station estimate to be roughly 23 to 26 percent. Medium-grain rice kernels are two to three times longer than they are wide. The cooked grains are moist and tender, and they cling together. Medium-grain rice is estimated to contain approximately 15 to 19 percent amylose and is typically used in recipes that call for a creamy consistency, such as rice pudding and paella. Short-grain rice kernels are almost round. When cooked, this rice tends to be even more moist, tender, and sticky than medium grain. Short-grain rice, which is commonly used for sushi, is estimated to contain roughly 12 to 17 percent amylose.
Types:
BROWN RICE: Brown rice is whole-grain rice with the hull intact. It has a chewy texture and nutty flavor. To prevent scorching or sogginess, we rely on the gentle, even heat of the oven to cook brown rice.
WHITE RICE: White rice has been refined to remove the brown hull. It comes in three basic sizes: long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain. The shorter the grain, the starchier the rice. For risotto and other dishes where stickiness is an asset, we use a medium-grain rice, such as Arborio. For most other uses, we rely on long-grain rice, which cooks up very fluffy, with separate, distinct grains.
CONVERTED RICE: Converted rice (also called parboiled rice) is steam-treated before packaging, which gelatinizes the starch in the center of the grain and removes some of the starch from the rice exterior, making the rice less likely to become starchy or sticky when cooked. The rice cooks up with distinct, separate grains, which our tasters found bouncy and a yellowish hue and assertive flavor that we don't like.
FULLY COOKED RICE: This product, which is relatively new to supermarket shelves, comes sealed in a bag and only needs quick reheating before serving. This rice is surprisingly good--much better than other convenience options, such as boil-in-bag rice and instant or minute rice. We recommend fully cooked rice for dishes (like soups) where the rice isn't the star of the show. If you plan on serving plain rice, however, we strongly recommend forgoing the bagged stuff
and making it yourself.
WILD RICE: Authentic wild rice is harvested by hand from lakes and rivers in the upper Great Lakes region. We prefer not-so-wild wild rice--cultivated in man-made paddies in California--for its more resilient texture and lower price. Its strong flavor is earthy, woody, and complex and works best when mixed with white rice. Simmer wild rice separately (in chicken stock to mute its flavor) and then combine with cooked white rice for an interesting pilaf.