Weekly Tip

Choosing the Right Rice

There are more than 40,000 varieties of rice worldwide, and they all vary in size, color, flavor and texture. Here's a quick guide to choosing the right rice for your recipe:

• Arborio rice is a short-grained Italian rice that, when cooked, is firm on the inside with a creamy feel on the outside. This rice is typically used for risotto.
  
• Aromatic rice has a natural aroma and flavor similar to that of popcorn or roasted nuts. The most common aromatic rice varieties in the US include basmati, jasmine and della. Basmati cooks up dry, making it useful in pilafs.
  
• Brown rice is the least processed form of rice, has the outer hull removed, but still retains the bran layers that give it color and a nutty flavor. Though it can be used interchangeably with white in most recipes, it has a longer cooking time and is chewier, but has up to three times more fiber, vitamin E and magnesium than white rice.
  
• Long-grain rice, the most popular rice in the US cooks up separate, light and fluffy, making it ideal for use in recipes that require texture. Because it is highly processed, it is more porous, so that boiling water penetrates the grains in a shorter time.
  
• Short-grain rice is used in Japanese, Taiwanese, and some Chinese dishes. The almost round kernels cook up soft and tend to cling together.
  
• Wild rice is not actually rice at all, but the seed of a wild grass. Its chewy texture and smoky flavor make wild rice ideal for pilafs, stuffing and salads.

Rice can make an easy and delicious side dish. Search for recipes using our online Recipe Center. Try an advanced search with the rice type in quotes to see recipes for specific rice varieties.

Here’s one to get you started!
Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding