NationStates Jolt Archive

I like rice, and always have. I used to eat American short-grained rice, but once I tried Basmati and Jasmine rice, I won't eat any other kind of white rice. They have a very nice aroma when cooking and taste great. I don't consider instant rice food, as it has no taste at all. Brown rice has a nice nutty taste and is good for a change once in a while.

So, what is your favorite kind of rice and why?

Sticky white rice. I'm not sophisticated enough to know any difference beyond that. Most the rice I eat is in giant burritos.

Pilau. Can't beat it if it's done properly.

Long-grain African dark rice and glutinous rice (for sushi, obviously)

Wild rice, still in the husk. For some other things (and because of the cost of wild rice) I use jasmine rice.

Pilau. Can't beat it if it's done properly.

Is that a long grain or a short grain and where is it grown?

Beef fried rice.

Basmati rice.

*Edit* Why? Because although it is the perfect compliment to any Indian dinner (and I make a mean vindaloo, lemme tell ya), it is also very flexible - I now use it for most of my rice rice needs.

And it tastes better - waaaaay better - than the rice my mother used to make.

Cuban Rice.

You know. With black beans. Ist Wunderbar!

How about a poll?

Long-grain African dark rice and glutinous rice (for sushi, obviously)


Glutinous rice is Mochigome, it isnt used to make sushi...


In any case, I like basmati and jasmine rice, also sushi rice when it's used to make sushi.

I cant recall whether or not wild rice is actually rice, but I like it.

Is that a long grain or a short grain and where is it grown?

No idea, i just order it. Looks short to me and it has a load of colourful stuff in it (I think, I may have the name wrong)

The best? Fresh. I don't mean fresh as in "delivered to the store three minutes ago." I mean fresh as in "eat it the same day it was picked." Rice farms in China are one of the best places to get fresh rice if you catch the right group and can pull your own weight.

I dont know....rice?

Rather like wine, its all the same to me.

How about a poll?

I would, but I don't know enough about the different kinds of rice to do one. That's why I posted this, to learn more about different types of rice. I do know there is Egyptian short grain rice, which is used mostly for deserts, as is Asian "sticky rice."

I cant recall whether or not wild rice is actually rice, but I like it.

It is and seems to have a nutty flavor but not as strong a nutty flavor as brown rice.

I dont know....rice?

Rather like wine, its all the same to me.

You need to explore. Excite your palate. Different rice’s have different aromas and tastes just like different wines. Ah, wine and rice. :)

Just be careful of rice wine. Some of it camn give vodka and tequilla a run for their money.

My favorite varieties are Koshihikari (short grain) and Texmati (long grain - it's an American Long Grain-Basmati hybrid).

Pilau. Can't beat it if it's done properly.

Is that a long grain or a short grain and where is it grown?

It's neither. It's a rice dish more commonly know in the US as pilaf (or pilaff).
(And several other people have confused rice sishes with varieties. ;))

Glutinous rice is Mochigome, it isnt used to make sushi...

Exactly. Mochigome (lit. "mochi rice") is used to make mochi, a glutenous "rice cake". Essentially, you steam the rice and then pund the heck out of it. It's also used to make sekihan, or "red rice", which is a festive Japanese dish of mochigome steamed with sweet azuki beans.

Different strains are also used for nihonshu, or sake.
All you ever wanted to know about the rice used to make sake, but were afraid to ask (and probably a bit more, as well) (http://www.sake-world.com/html/rice.html) :D

I cant recall whether or not wild rice is actually rice, but I like it.

It is and seems to have a nutty flavor but not as strong a nutty flavor as brown rice.

It depends on what exactly you maen by wild rice. If you're talking about the non-domesticated variety of rice, yes. But if you're taking about the cereal that's commonly known as wild rice, then no, not exactly. They're the same family but of different genus. Rice is Oryza and wild rice is Zizania. The three main species of wild rice are native to North America. There's also one native to Manchuria. "Common" rice was domesticated in South East Asia and Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice#History_of_rice_cultivation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_rice

Just be careful of rice wine. Some of it camn give vodka and tequilla a run for their money.

Rice "wine" is a bit of a misnomer, as sake (or even more pedantically proper, nihonshu ;)) is actually brewed in a manner closer to beer. Also, a typical sake is generally lower proof than vodka or tequila - it tends to run around 15%, or 30 proof.

All you ever wanted to know about making sake, but were afraid to ask (and probably a bit more, as well) (http://www.sake-world.com/html/brewing-process.html)

Sake's bad name in the west usually stems from the awful rotgut, rocket fuel, popskull, and cooking sake brands usually served at restaurants outside Japan. The good stuff is on par with fine wines and spirits.

Advice on sake:
Gekkeikan or Ozaki are probably the only decent brands you can find widespread in the US (I have no idea, but am guessing they're common elsewhere outside Japan).

Avoid Hakutsuru like you would Mad Dog 20/20.

Order it slightly chilled. If it comes pipping hot, it's likely to be some bad plonk, as these days that's done to mask the less-than-refined aspects of a bad sake. If you do that to a good sake, you absolutely ruin it. (Some good sakes should be slightly warmed, but they should never, ever be hot.)

Hands down: saffron rice. While I like jasmine and basmati, NOTHING compares to saffron rice.

Hands down: saffron rice. While I like jasmine and basmati, NOTHING compares to saffron rice.

Damn right!

My favourite rice has for many years been Thai Jasmine rice.

Have any of you who have travelled and/or lived in Asia noticed that the rice they export to the West is all their third rate stuff? To get decent rice I don't go to the supermarket but have to go to the asian speciality shops.

Rice is nice
White rice is nice
I love rice.

I meant, by wild rice, the kind in minnesota and the dakotas that indians harvest, or something along those lines.

My favourite kind of rice is the bowl of rice I leave benath my friends gutless little Honda before taking our cars racing down at Cayuga Speedway. Its Jasmine rice of course, cuz that is the best kind.

Rice "wine" is a bit of a misnomer, as sake (or even more pedantically proper, nihonshu ;)) is actually brewed in a manner closer to beer. Also, a typical sake is generally lower proof than vodka or tequila - it tends to run around 15%, or 30 proof.

The only reason I use it is for understanding purposes. Ironically, I've also heard it used in Tokyo for the same reasons.

Keep in mind that, generally, beer doesn't taste like watered-down horse piss, and yet certain American companies manage it anyway.

My favored place to get rice-wine was at a small stand in Tokyo. The owner there sold an obscure brand I have not been able to find since, but as a brand of sake it was extremely potent. You could almost use it to replace gasoline with. I suspected he was part of the underbelly, but he gave me a discount and was actually a pleasant guy. I was living with some Americans at the time, so I made it a point to get the most potent stuff I could. Americans are so exploitable when they're drunk, and I managed to pay for several internation trips using the money I scammed off them when alcohol killed their brains.

Gekkeikan or Ozaki are probably the only decent brands you can find widespread in the US (I have no idea, but am guessing they're common elsewhere outside Japan).

Good eye. The best bet is probably to import instead, though, due to that limited availability.

My favourite rice has for many years been Thai Jasmine rice.

Have any of you who have travelled and/or lived in Asia noticed that the rice they export to the West is all their third rate stuff? To get decent rice I don't go to the supermarket but have to go to the asian speciality shops.

You have to be careful with them. I've caught more than a few buying cheap rice and repackaging it to sell to stupid people. I prefer to import rice myself.

Thai. Cooked in a rice cooker. If mixed with steamed fish sauce it's the best.

I meant, by wild rice, the kind in minnesota and the dakotas that indians harvest, or something along those lines.

That's Zizania, and it's not related to rice.

The only reason I use it is for understanding purposes. Ironically, I've also heard it used in Tokyo for the same reasons.

Keep in mind that, generally, beer doesn't taste like watered-down horse piss, and yet certain American companies manage it anyway.

My favored place to get rice-wine was at a small stand in Tokyo. The owner there sold an obscure brand I have not been able to find since, but as a brand of sake it was extremely potent. You could almost use it to replace gasoline with. I suspected he was part of the underbelly, but he gave me a discount and was actually a pleasant guy. I was living with some Americans at the time, so I made it a point to get the most potent stuff I could. Americans are so exploitable when they're drunk, and I managed to pay for several internation trips using the money I scammed off them when alcohol killed their brains.

Fair enough. :) Yeah, the bad stuff is a killer.


Good eye. The best bet is probably to import instead, though, due to that limited availability.

Agreed.



You have to be careful with them. I've caught more than a few buying cheap rice and repackaging it to sell to stupid people. I prefer to import rice myself.

There are problems with that in Japan as well, particularly with Koshihikari (widely considered the best here).

But the worst one was the big rice failure of '93 here. The rice crop was so bad that the Japanese government (which holds a monopoly on the sale of rice) ended up importing a bunch of foreign rice. From what I understand, a large part of the Thai rice the government imported was an industrial grade rice, whicle was sold as table grade - by mistake or intent is the question.

You have to be careful with them. I've caught more than a few buying cheap rice and repackaging it to sell to stupid people. I prefer to import rice myself.


I haven't been on the recieving end on that little scam (yet). I pride myself on being able to taste the difference, so I think I would notice. I don't think my local shop would do that to me though. It always pays of to be a frequent customer, then there will be less chance of getting ripped off and you usually get nice discounts when they know you. :cool:

But thanks for the warning :)

I haven't been on the recieving end on that little scam (yet). I pride myself on being able to taste the difference, so I think I would notice. I don't think my local shop would do that to me though. It always pays of to be a frequent customer, then there will be less chance of getting ripped off and you usually get nice discounts when they know you. :cool:

But thanks for the warning :)

AFAIK, it's usually unscrupulous distrubutors, not retailers, who do this.

"Condalezza Rice is nice,
But I prefer A-Roni,
And that man on the TV who speaks to the dead,
You know that man's a phoney,
Everybody move to Canada,
Smoke lots of pot,
Everybody move to Canada,
All right now"

The Mob Goes Wild - Clutch

i don't know much about rice, i think the one i use is jasmine.

Jasmine, it has a really nice fragrance.

There are problems with that in Japan as well, particularly with Koshihikari (widely considered the best here).

But the worst one was the big rice failure of '93 here. The rice crop was so bad that the Japanese government (which holds a monopoly on the sale of rice) ended up importing a bunch of foreign rice. From what I understand, a large part of the Thai rice the government imported was an industrial grade rice, whicle was sold as table grade - by mistake or intent is the question.

Ouch! Good thing I wasn't there at that point. That would have truly sucked.

I haven't been on the recieving end on that little scam (yet). I pride myself on being able to taste the difference, so I think I would notice. I don't think my local shop would do that to me though. It always pays of to be a frequent customer, then there will be less chance of getting ripped off and you usually get nice discounts when they know you. :cool:

But thanks for the warning :)

Ah, smart shopper. Very good. I doubt your favored store will rip you off for that.

AFAIK, it's usually unscrupulous distrubutors, not retailers, who do this.

That's only partially true in this case. If the store packages its own rice, there is a small chance the store itself is pulling the scam. Part of why some of us get a shop we trust and stick with it, even if they sometimes are forced to use high prices.

Oh oh!

Ones that go VROOM VROOM!

Wild rice, still in the husk. For some other things (and because of the cost of wild rice) I use jasmine rice.I heard that the black wild rice that tastes so good isn't actually in the rice family at all.

I like short-grain brown rice for general use, purple tai rice, and of course, arborio rice for risotto.

I heard that the black wild rice that tastes so good isn't actually in the rice family at all.

Nope. Same family (Poaceae), but different species. See my post above (#19).
;)

Basmati all the way :P great for everything, from a good side to a curry, to making a nice rice pudding :P

My favorite varieties are Koshihikari (short grain) and Texmati (long grain - it's an American Long Grain-Basmati hybrid).

Thank you very much for your most informative post.

Rice doused and chicken doused with teriyaki sauce from Sarku-Japan...Mmmmmm :D

Potatoes.

Rice all tastes the same to me, as do all kinds of noodles the Italians give impossible to pronounce names to.

i buy the cheapest possible long grain rice...aaahh student living :)

but if i could choose i'd eat basmati all the time.

Thank you very much for your most informative post.

:)

My mom's Spanish rice. Start with a white rice, add saffron, chopped pimientos, capers, some manzanilla olives, and some peas....

cover with a hearty, soupy mix of kidney beans, green pepper, chopped onions....

serve alongside some fresh ham cooked with adobo paste injected deep inside....



Damn, now I am starving.

long grain and wild rice mixed