Over two billion people worldwide rely on rice as their primary food. According to new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, increasing levels of carbon dioxide are not only warming the planet, but also severely lowering the nutritional value of key crops like rice. rice has dramatically less iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
Speaking of rice and Japan: Did you know there are over 30,000 certified sommeliers in Japan, 13k of whom are women? A modest 26.5%!o(MISSING)f all Japanese sommelier candidates pass the exams as sommelier training is quite rigorous there. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Japans induction into the International Association of Sommeliers. Japan also boasts countless wine schools and a flourishing wine book industry. I have never encountered one, that I can recall.
Rice is a main staple in more than 100 countries worldwide. In some households, rice is included with more than one meal a day. This starchy grain is generally low cost, making it accessible to all and a vital base of many diets. Each country showcases a rice specialty to reflect local spices
and taste preferences: risotto in Italy, paella in Spain, jambalaya in the southern U.S., coconut rice in Colombia, steamed rice in China, rice and beans in Mexico, and sweet rice in Portugal, to name a few.
The scientific name for rice is Oryza. Oryza sativa is the species and is subdivided into the indica, and japonica. Tools for farming rice have been found in China dating back 8000 years. Merchant traders helped the gradual spread of rice across the continents.
There are thousands (over 40,000) of types of Oryza sativa, which can differ in size, thickness, stickiness, color, aroma, and flavor. Rice is often broadly categorized based on its shape or method of processing:
Long grains have a slender kernel over four times as long as they are wide. When cooked, long grain rice stays separate and fluffy (e.g., Jasmine and Basmati rice).Medium grains have a shorter, wider kernel, yielding a tender and consistency when cooked (e.g., Arborio rice).Short grains have a kernel only twice as long as they are wide, and yield the stickiest texture when cooked (e.g., sushi rice).
Is the rice in its whole, intact form (like brown rice), or has it been milled and polished (like white rice)?
Whole: Just like all whole grains, rice naturally contains three bran, germ, and endosperm (the inedible hull is removed). Brown rice is the typical whole grain rice, though this describes not a particular variety but the natural color of the grain. However, whole grain rice is not limited to one color—it in shades of black, purple, and red. Because the fibrous bran layer and germ remain intact, these varieties typically take longer to cook, and have a nuttier and chewier texture than refined white rice.Refined: Rice that is polished to remove the bran layers and embryo so that only the starchy white endosperm remains—hence the name white rice (again, this refers to the color and not one particular variety). The milling and polishing process removes the majority of naturally occurring B vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber, so B vitamins and iron are added back. Food labels will display the term enriched to indicate this. However, only a fraction of the original amount of these nutrients is added back.
Of course, when to cooking, specific varieties of rice are often chosen for their unique characteristics. Here are a few popular types:
Arborio: A rice popular for making risotto and puddings. It undergoes less milling than rice so it retains more starch, which is released during cooking to produce a naturally creamy consistency without mushy. Unlike other rice cooking methods, water must be added to Arborio rice gradually in segments, with constant stirring, to produce the creamy texture of risotto. Arborio rice is available in both brown and white versions.
