RICE
Staple foods have a high percentage of carbohydrates and calories, calories that gives us energy. A
few examples of staple foods are, rice, spaghetti, cereal, bread, potato and breadfruit.
Staple foods are not fattening and they do not consist of a wide range of nutrients, therefore this food group
should be eaten in conjunction with other food groups.
Around the world, rice is one of the
most common staple foods that are
eaten on a regular basic. In my
younger days about 60% of our
cooking rice came with chaffs,
unshelled kernels and at times even
dirt. So
due to this, several minutes and at
times as much as half an hour was
spend separating the good from the
bad. Today however, in many
countries, we no longer face this challenge. This alone has drastically reduced
the preparation time and many enjoyable dishes can be prepared with this staple food. Rice steamers and
rice cookers work wonderfully as well.
Types of Rice
Even though it is said that there are over 140,000 types of rice within the world, rice is usually categorized as
white and whole grain or long, medium and short grain rice.
Long grain rice is as the name suggests the kernels are long and after cooking, they are fluffy and remain
separated from one another. Basmati, Jasmine and Wehani are all flavorful long grain rice.
Medium grain rice, such as Spanish rice is a little shorter and wider than long grain rice. When cooked, they
stick together, but just a little and are wonderful for meals with chicken and salad.
Short grain rice is also self-explanatory, the kernels are short and they stick together in a clammy manner.
They are perfect for rice pudding.
Basic Rice Handling Tips
Wash rice before cooking
It’s always a good idea to wash rice two or three times before cooking it. This will help to reduce some of the
starch that rice contains. In addition to this it will help to wash away any talc that was used in the milling
process. In some countries, talc is no longer used to polish rice, but just to be on the cautious side, washing
it before cooking it is a good idea.
Cooked Rice
After cooking rice, apart from eating it within half an hour, allow the rice to cool and immediately after cooling,
place it into the refrigerated. With proper storing, at the most, you will have at least six days to use it or
about a month if frozen. When storing, as with most cooked foods, store in airtight containers and don’t
forget to record the storage date.
Rice Cooking Ideas
(a) Add some mix vegetables from a tin or fresh vegetables such as diced carrots, green pea and sweet
peppers (red, yellow, green and orange).
(b) You can also use only one vegetable at a time, that is, cabbage (green and purple), or
beets or spinach.
(c) Add some peas and beans such as split peas (green and yellow), black eye peas, and
black beans, just to name a few.
Don appetite!
Rice Related Links
The New York Times
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9F0CE4D71439F937A35750C0A967948260
The International Year of Rice (2004) a part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
http://www.fao.org/rice2004/index_en.htm
Rice Recipe Links
Rice Recipes
http://www.ricerecipes.org/All Recipes
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Holidays-and-Events/Easter/Side-Dishes/Rice-Dishes/ViewAll.aspx