Roughly half of mankind depends on rice as a staple grain crop, yet many of us prefer chips! As cereals go, it is scarcely the most nutritious, but it is a cheap source of energy in poor diets. Each boiled grain of white rice contains 30% of starch and 3% protein (1). Unmilled brown rice is not popular in poorer countries, but is eaten in the West as a "health food". The irony behind this preference lies in the loss during the milling process of valuable vitamins (eg thiamin) found in the bran or outer layers of the grain. Thiamin deficiency is linked to the disease beri-beri, which is easily avoided if the diet contains a range of foods including cereals, yeast products, pulses, nuts, eggs, milk & meat (2).
Rice - Background Notes
Oryza sativa is cultivated in over 100 countries in a wide variety of climates. The ancestral wild grass probably grew on the foothills of the Himalayas rather than the wet tropics, and it only became edible once someone had discovered how to cook it! The large amount of water it absorbs during boiling is due to its high starch content which forms a colloidal solution, rather like wallpaper paste. A 100g portion of rice weighs 280g after boiling, so it takes 2kg of cooked rice to supply enough energy (2500kcals) for an adult male on a daily basis.
The Emerging Popularity of Rice
Cultivated rice has been in existence at least 8000 years. It crossbreeds easily and can be adapted to the local growing conditions while retaining a good yield. Modern and ancient farming techniques still work together in many parts of the world, but early farmers soon realised that for optimum production, the plant prefers shallow, slow moving water found in irrigated fields, which makes rice a very labour-intensive crop.
Many Eastern cultures prefer the plain white rice dish, which earns a divine status at the table, whatever its nutritional shortcomings. In medieval times, it was regarded as an expensive import to the West and considered a luxury good (1). Ground rice flour is often used in cakes and biscuits and rice noodles are popular in Asia and China, where fermented rice produces vinegar and a rather potent wine. It was left to the Europeans to discover the temptations of traditional milk pudding, blancmange and rice tarts. At the same time, rice has found its way into savoury risotto, paella and a wide range of pilaf dishes, typical of the Middle East and India. The saving grace from the chef's point of view is the fact that rice will take up whatever flavour or colour you decide to throw in the pot at the last minute - sweet or savoury!
Types of Rice
It is a difficult task to classify fully all the different types of rice used in the food industry. A lot of overlap occurs, but then any classisification system is merely a tool, not an end in itself. Here is a brief guide:
- Based on botanical classification, we have the popular long-grain Basmati variety from Pakistan and India, which has an aromatic "nutty" taste. The Italian superfino long grain rice includes recognised Arborio and Carnaroli varieties.
- The country of origin can be misleading, since many types have "moved on", eg Carolina rice.
- Size of grain is a practical measure of rice varieties: short (pearl), medium (rose) or long (patna).
- "Stickiness" of rice depends on the amount of amylopectin in the starch of the grain. Very sticky rice contains 83% amylopectin compared to "unsticky" Basmati which contains the minimum amount of 70%.
- Colour and aroma are subjective criteria, but purple and black rice from the Philippines arise from the leaching of different amounts of colour from the dark husk to the grain during cooking. Red rice may be "genuine" brown red rice from Camargue in France, unpolished rice from Asia - or just Asian rice which has been dyed red!
- Fragrant rice such as Thai or jasmine opens up endless possibilities from the spice cupboard...
One variation from the Philippines are rice cakes, made from sweetened and steamed rice flour (galapong). The flour is ground wet rather than dry, and left to soak overnight, during which time fermentation takes place, producing a variety of flavours and textures individual to each region. The final product is consumed as part of an "afternoon tea" or merienda, which originated from Spain as a form of picnic or outdoor meal aimed at agricultural workers - a far cry from taking afternoon tea at the Ritz!
References
- Davidson A.(2002) The Penguin Companion to Food. Penguin Books.
- Fox B. Cameron A. (1995) Food Science, Nutrition and Health. Arnold.
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