White polished rice belongs to the group of grassy cereals. The Russian proverb says: "bread is the head of everything." But in relation to the population of Asian countries, this popular wisdom can be reinterpreted as "rice is the head of everything."
Scientists believe that this culture began to be cultivated in the territories of subtropical and tropical countries more than 10 centuries ago.
Rice: general information
Polished rice, the photo of which is presented below, together with wheat and other cereal plants is one of the most ancient cultures that mankind began to grow even at the origin of civilization. This is a rather whimsical crop, the cultivation of which requires compliance with certain temperature and climatic indicators. The cultivation of rice fields is limited to subtropical and tropical climates. The main countries where this crop is grown are in Asia and the African continent.
Varieties of rice by type of processing
The method of processing grains directly affects the taste and consumer properties of this cereal. If one type of rice is suitable for making sushi or pilaf, then the other is suitable only for milk porridges.
According to the processing method in the food sector, these types of product are divided:
- Steamed is obtained after processing the grains with steam.
- Polished white rice has a smooth and smooth surface and is characterized by a rich white or transparent color.
- Long grain is characterized by the fact that during cooking rice grains (up to 9 mm) of this variety do not stick together.
- Unpolished brown rice undergoes gentle processing, as a result of which a useful husk of a bright brown hue is preserved.
- Polished round-grain is a culture whose grain length is not more than 4 mm.
- Mid-grain rice is characterized by a grain dyne of 4-7 mm, as well as an area of germination limited to Australia, Spain, New Zealand.
Grain round-grain polished
Polished round-grain rice is mined after heat treatment of cereal. Countries where this crop is grown: Russia, China, Italy, Ukraine. It should be noted that this rice is characterized not only by its unique properties, but also by consumer and culinary qualities.
Round polished grain has the ability to absorb large volumes of water. In addition, the chemical composition of this cereal contains a lot of starch, so polished rice is characterized by an opaque color. Most often on sale you can find white rice of this variety.
Which to choose?
Often, consumers cannot decide on the purchase of a product, as not everyone knows which dishes are used for preparing polished rice. Which variety is better and how does it differ when cooking? Let's try to figure it out.
So that when choosing a product there are no difficulties, remember the simple rules and recommendations:
- Long grain rice is great for pilaf, hot dishes and side dishes. Grains do not stick during cooking. This is an elite type of rice, which is appreciated for its rich smell and exquisite taste.
- But in risotto and soups, it is advisable to use medium grain cereals. Polished rice after cooking becomes soft, but sticks a little. This variety is appreciated for the ability to enrich the remaining ingredients in dishes with aromas.
- Round rice is perfect for casseroles, puddings and desserts. This polished cereal is excellently digested. A creamy mixture is obtained, since the grains stick well together.
Sushi rice
To cook this dish, round rice is best. Attempts to use long-grain varieties (for example, jasmine or basmati) will not succeed with you, since these grains do not boil during cooking. You can choose sushi-mesh rice, which is specially grown for these purposes.
A characteristic feature of this variety is small and round grains, which are much smaller than ordinary oblong cereals. This rice has a high stickiness, which is what is required for making sushi, since it is quite convenient to make "balls" out of it. In Japanese cuisine, sushi is made from nishiki, a special rice that, after cooking, looks like a mushy mixture. Sometimes they use rice okomesan and fushigon.
How to cook polished rice for sushi?
The most important thing is to thoroughly wash the cereal before cooking, actively grinding and mixing it manually. Professional craftsmen advise replacing water at least 10 times so that it is crystal clear. For rice to come out airy and moist, it is also important to observe the correct ratio of cereals to water. For 250 ml of liquid, take 1 cup of cereal. The dishes where long-grain, polished or round rice is cooked must be covered with a lid, and it is forbidden to open it during cooking. Do not open the pot even after removing it from the stove, since it is necessary to let the cereal stand for about half an hour.
Ingredients:
- 250 ml of water;
- 180 g cereals;
- salt - half a teaspoon;
- one leaf of a noriya;
- 1 tsp Sahara;
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- enameled container with a lid.
Wash rice thoroughly in cool water to remove starch dust that coats the grains. Then let it lie down for one hour, leaving it without water on a fine mesh sieve. Due to this, rice absorbs the remaining water and swells. Then fill the pan with water, pour the grains, set on a fire and wait for the boil.
Cook the grains on low heat for about 9-12 minutes. Then wrap the pan with warm material and let it brew for another 15 minutes. Warm vinegar a little, stir sugar and salt in it, pour into cooked rice. Mix everything well and let the whole mixture dry. Thus, rice absorbs vinegar, due to which it is filled with a specific aroma, can easily maintain and take the required shape.
How to cook brown rice?
Ingredients:
- 250 ml of water;
- 180 g of unpolished brown grains.
Wash the grains thoroughly and pour into a sieve. In a small thick-walled pan with a well-closing lid, heat the water to a boil, pour the rice here. Then remove the resulting foam, set the fire to a minimum, close the lid and cook for 45 minutes. Croup should not be disturbed during cooking, and cooked cereals should not be rinsed. Before use, you can slightly fluff up the porridge with a fork. In brown rice, unlike peeled white, there is a large amount of potassium, calcium, vitamin B, iron, fiber and other useful substances. It takes about 45 minutes to prepare, since the grains of this variety have a very solid structure.
How to cook friable rice?
To make loose rice, it’s important to pick the “right” grains. It is best to use varieties of jasmine, basmati or other types of cereals with thin and long grains. Before cooking, you need to thoroughly wash the cereals in cool water.
In order for the product to turn out to be very friable, after cooking, put a little oil in it and mix thoroughly so that it is completely and evenly saturated. If the cereal is being prepared for fish or meat dishes, with vegetable sauce, then grain oil should not be seasoned.
Ingredients:
- 180 g of cereal;
- half a teaspoon of salt;
- 250 ml of water.
Wash the rice thoroughly in a large volume of cool water. Pour out the liquid until it is completely clean, then transfer the grains to a sieve. When the rice dries a little, place it in an enamel container. Pour water, salt, wait for a boil and rearrange to a minimum fire. Close the lid and cook for 25 minutes. Then remove the lid and do not interfere with the rice. Just let it stand on the stove, after wrapping the container with a towel. Thus, the remnants of water are absorbed, and the rice comes to readiness, becomes friable and fragrant.
Before serving, slightly loosen it with a fork, if there is sticky croup, carefully mash it. If everything is done correctly, as a result, crisp and beautiful rice will come out, which can be served as a side dish for absolutely any dish.
There are so many varieties and varieties of this cereal that it is simply impossible to reveal all the secrets at a time. In order to properly prepare polished rice, it is important to follow the recommendations described above, then you can surprise your loved ones and guests with a perfectly prepared product.