Now this was not to introduce us to any sort of Asian cuisine or even bring us any cultural awareness-this was to simply induce that infamous Catholic guilt about how lucky we have it here in the states while kids over in China are dining on THIS every meal.
While I understand now the fulcum of the message-be grateful for what you have and that yes, there are starving kids in the world we need to help-the message then as a kid was "Rice pretty much sucks."
And it did, to me. Perhaps it was the way it was prepared, but the bowl of rice we got in the school was a glop of a ball of rice, a sticky, gelatinous mess that was almost unpalatable if you didn't introduce the soy sauce on top. It completely turned me off to rice and I really just never ate it. My mother rarely if at all made it, if she did it was "Uncle Ben's Minute Rice" and luckily she usually incorporated it into some sort of casserole or slathered some sort of cheese sauce over it so I could usually scarf it down that way. Otherwise, rice was pretty disgusting to me. My attitude towards it did not change as an older child into adulthood-I passed it up every single time someone ordered Chinese or at any Asian restaurant.
About the only way I could deal with rice was Sushi. To me however, that wasn't really eating rice per se. And the thing with sushi rice is that it's supposed to be very sticky and they add other things to it-like vinegar to give it a tang, to give it a taste. Other than sushi-I didn't like rice with anything. Even fried rice found me picking out the pieces of pork or chicken and the veggies and leaving the rice part behind.
When I was married, my husband made some awesome Salmon and on the side he also cooked up some "Long grain and Wild rice", another fine Uncle Ben's product, and that I could stomach and liked. Yet it was so rare that we would eat it that I don't think it counts as having rice as a staple in my diet.
Time goes on, and the health benefits of brown rice made themselves known. Brown rice is white rice but simply still has the bran and germ of the rice still intact. So I'd force myself to add some brown rice to my meals-like when I made a stir fry-even though I still didn't care for rice. I could make it more palatable by using broth instead of water to cook it with, and even throwing in parsley or other spices, but I still really just didn't like rice.
Even Spanish rice-the yellow rice with tomatoes and peppers often added or a Paella-while I tolerated it, I still wasn't a big fan. Red beans and rice had to have way more beans than rice for me to enjoy any of that, either. Just simply didn't care for rice- until now.
So what changed for me? Learning and discovering many different types of rices. Who knew? I sure didn't. In fact, according to the Trader Joe's website-there are over 40,000 different types of rice grown and consumed in the world. So in knowing that nutritious grains were going to now be a big part of my eating lifestyle, I set a course to turning myself on to some different kinds.
Now I didn't go all exotic and crazy-I just started making the rices that are the most popular amongst trendy food eaters, or those most commonly found in Asian and Indian restaurants. I'm not kidding when I said that I've only had regular ol' white rice found in a bag from the food pantry, or somebodies Uncle Ben, be it white or brown.
I've discovered that I love Basmati Rice. This is the rice most commonly used in Indian cuisine. I love it because the grains are long and it's not glutinous. Now keep in mind that the word 'glutinous' here does not refer to 'gluten' content. What glutinous here means is its 'sticky' factor. Starch content. I realize that I simply hate sticky rice. This rice stays separate, the grains are almost like a pasta in that respect (like Orzo) and that's what I really like. Basmati has a nutty aroma but tastes like rice without all the starch. Here's a picture of it.
Speaking of Asian take out, the rice that is mostly used in this cuisine is Jasmine. It is a close cousin to Basmati and isn't bad. I don't think its the same as what they give in the white containers though I know I've had some white container take out rice that I've liked (usually from Thai, not Chinese restaurants.)
Jasmine rice has an almost flowery scent to it (hence the name) and its also long grain. It does however have more of a 'sticky' factor than Basmati so if you're into that, you'd probably like this better. It has a firm chew which many people (including myself) prefer, sorta an 'al dente' of the rice world. Here it is:
Brown rice as I wrote of is rice before Uncle Ben gets his bleach on. Since the bran and germ are still intact it is nutritional. The thing with the white rice-at least in the states-is that the nutrition is stripped right out of it, the rice then 'bleached' for looks and then re-fortified with the vitamins and minerals and stuff that are removed by this process. It's crazy, really. Brown rice come in different grain sizes, from short to long, and has a nutty taste. It also takes longer to cook, about 20 minutes longer if doing by stove-top steam method. I'm not a big fan of brown rice, to be honest but I will make it for a stir fry or throw it into a veggie soup.
Black Rice-yes, there is a Black rice. AKA 'Forbidden' Rice. Not sure why that is its alter-ego, there's a Google question for ya. But it's actually really, REALLY good. The bran is also intact so its very healthy and nutritious. It turns a lovely purplish color once cooked, and its firm, not sticky. It has a slightly sweet and creamy taste, a little nutty like brown rice and its long grain (which I like.) I love it with black beans and mango. Its a great salad rice.
And it looks like this cooked:
This picture is from Ambitiouskitchen.com.
*a caveat: I steal pictures off of Google. I just type in what I'm looking for and pick an image. I am not meaning to infringe on anyone's copyright or intellectual property, though I think there is some weird internet clause that says if you put online-anybody can use it. In any event-if there is a source linked to the pic I will site it, otherwise, tough sh.......
And then there is Red rice. White, brown, black and red rices-just like people ha ha. The red rice I have tried is actually a Sprouted Rice. This is where the bran of the rice has sprouted. Its chewy, long grain, has a nutty brown rice-esq flavor, and is said to be super nutritious because of the sprouting (i.e. now has an amino acid profile.) This picture is from the Trader Joe's brand.
And my final profile is Wild Rice. Wild Rice is not really a rice but it is a grass, and it's been harvested by Native American's around the Great Lakes for like, ever. It's firm and chewy, and sometimes the kernels 'burst' when cooked, showing it to be tender on the inside. I don't really like it on its own. As with the Salmon meal my ex would make, I much prefer it mixed in with a long grain rice.
Now, you go to speciality stores like "World Market", health food stores, Trader Joes/Whole Foods type stores (And I'll be doing a whole thing on Trader Joes because LOVE)-and even in the 'organic' aisle of national chains like Publix and Albertson's and Jewel-you will find nowadays a number of 'blends.' This is where people are mixing up the rices together and also adding other ingredients-peas, lentils, barley, etc. If you've ever made "Rice-A-Roni", that is the O.G. of the grain blends, because a long with the rice there is the vermicelli-which is why the directions are to 'toast' in butter first til the vermicelli is brown. Vermicelli being a form of pasta.
Instead of paying out the beehind for the blends-make your own. Use rice, brown and yellow lentils and some green peas. Make your own Long grain and wild rice. Try the black and brown rices together. If you buy the rices in bulk, you save even more. Remember the jars? Store in there. And you needn't spend money on that-I also re-use pasta sauce jars, pickle jars, etc.
There are many ways to prepare rice; some people have rice cookers, some cook in the microwave, and then the steam method on the stove, which is one part rice to two parts water, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and let sit 25 minutes (white rices) to 45 minutes (dark rices.) Some say to remove from heat. Don't lift the lid because it's the steam that cooks the rice. If you want to really be impressive use a bamboo steamer.
I personally like the pasta method of cooking rice-let the water come to a boil, add the rice and cook until all the water is absorbed. Experiment and see which ways work best for you.
As far as 'quick cooking' rice, I don't know anything about it really in terms of the processes, of what they do in order to make the rice cook in 5 minutes. I could look it up but I'm lazy. I'm sure that I will read it's totally benign and not harmful and it's fine. But intuitively I feel that once again, they are doing weird stuff to the rice and as a result, the nutrition is compromised and then they have to re-introduce some synthetically, which I personally don't like the idea of.
Also, I have tried in my lifetime some rices that come pre-cooked, directions to just microwave for a minute and one in particular that comes in a plastic bag. I literally gagged and threw it away because it had an overwhelming plastic-chemical taste to me. It was God-awful. So f convenience. Seriously.
What's 45 minutes on a Sunday morning to cook up a batch of rice for the week? You can even freeze it. Use a slow cooker-pressure cooker. If you're that lazy or pressed for time, get a rice cooker, just put the rice in, set the timer and walk away. I really don't think compromising taste, nutrition and health is worth it. You make time for things that are important. Normal white rice takes 25 minutes. Is 20 minutes worth your health? Learn to manage time better. Put the rice on the stove then go meditate for 20 minutes. Go play with your kid. Seriously-utilize the extra rice-cooking time in a positive, life-enhancing way. Your taste buds, your health and your emotional well-being will thank you for it.
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