RICE

[Ben Hong]

About 20+ years ago, I was exposed to jasmine (Thai) rice and although it took me several meals to convince the family that the stuff was good, everyone now loves the stuff, and would not buy anything else.

Fast forward to last month when I brought home a 10 pound bag of Basmati for a change and after the first meal, my wife asked "how long does this &%@* bag last?" Needless to say that neither of us liked the stuff as much as the jasmine rice. But Basmati rice makes absolutely superb fried rice, what with the long loose grains.

Last week friends and I took a long trek through 3 provinces and had meals in 3 different Chinatowns, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. The common rice in the first 2 places was was jasmine. But, Montreal serve good old fashioned plain long grain. My brother called it loh wah kieu fan, meaning that the diehard Chinese thinking of an older generation (Toysan) still dominates and you can hear Toysanese on the streets of Chinatown in Montreal still.

So, when you are eating a Chinese meal, what is your rice preference...Basmati, plain long grain, short grain or Jasmine?

[muichoi]

I like Thai rice best with Chinese food. It's supposed to have a very high glycaemic index, but on the other hand you don't see many overweight Thais. American long grain is much better for frying, but I find fried rice too heavy on the stomach these days.Basmati is really a great delicacy, but no more goes with chinese food than does olive oil. I've just counted and I keep 11 different rices in my kitchen, even brown which i've tried to like but can't.

[Dejah]

Basmati for fried rice? I'll have to try that. I love it at our local Indian restaurant. Their basmati is full of flavour, and each grain is separate and almost "dry". Takes experience to cook it properly, as with any rice, I suppose.

We have been eating jasmine for years and enjoy the aroma as it cooks. I particularly like the "fan jieu" at the bottom of the pot.

I think most Chinese restaurants still use "low wah kieu fan" for the general public, but cooks jasmine for themselves. Selffish lot! Jasmine is probably more widely used in restaurant now as the price has dropped since its introduction.

ETA: I'm with you on the brown rice, muichoi. I've tried to like it because it's supposed to be better for you, but I still prefer my white rice.

Edited May 26, 2007 by Dejah (log)

[C. sapidus]

So, when you are eating a Chinese meal, what is your rice preference...Basmati, plain long grain, short grain or Jasmine?

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I prefer jasmine rice, but my wife prefers basmati. We buy both, and whoever is on rice duty that night gets to choose. You are absolutely right that basmati makes the best fried rice. We also keep a small bag of sticky rice around for certain Lao or Issan dishes.

Growing up, if we had rice it was probably Uncle Ben’s. I will be interested to hear whether fond memories of Mom’s rice affect current preferences.

[Naftal]

I guess I must be strange but I like any rice labeled "sweet". My only requirment for a good rice is a high gluten/starch content.Not only is it easier to eat, it also contributes to some wonderful sauces.

[Ben Hong]

Growing up, if we had rice it was probably Uncle Ben’s.   I will be interested to hear whether fond memories of Mom’s rice affect current preferences.

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Uncle Ben's for personal use has it's place...in the garbage can. But the restaurants catering to the loh fan love it because it makes no-clump fried rice. I would rather be jabbed in the eyeballs with an ice pick than eat brown rice.

Growing up, we only had plain long grain, but that was in the village eons ago when most people grew their own or just bought from their neighbours. Speaking of which, you have not tasted good rice until you've eaten rice that's fresh milled one day after harvest.

[jhirshon]

Call me a heretic, but I personally enjoy Nishiki brand medium-grain rice best.

cheers, JH

[Ben Hong]

Call me a heretic,

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OK, you are a heretic and you will be sentenced to 20 lashes with the wet noodle by the Grand Inquisitor.

[SuzySushi]

Growing up, if we had rice it was probably Uncle Ben’s.   I will be interested to hear whether fond memories of Mom’s rice affect current preferences.

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You were lucky.... when I was growing up, we had Minute Rice (We did have the real stuff once a week when we got take-out Chinese food on my mom's "day off" from cooking.)

I currently use two standard kinds of rice: jasmine rice when I want separate grains, and Tamaki Gold koshikari rice for Japanese food and risottos. Occasionally I'll buy basmati, black rice, etc. for specific dishes, but I don't keep them around in 20-pound quantities!

[miladyinsanity]

I prefer Japonica rice. I'm a heathen (after this post, I'm going into hiding).

At home, my mother usually mixes fragrant rice and ordinary long-grain, to get the best flavor without it being too sticky. Unfortunately, I like my rice sticky.

I'll say that my first love is sticky rice though. I just don't get to eat it everyday because my mother refuses to let me. She says it's unhealthy.

[Prawncrackers]

At home, my mother usually mixes fragrant rice and ordinary long-grain, to get the best flavor without it being too sticky. Unfortunately, I like my rice sticky.

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That is exactly what my mother does now, she mixes thai fragrant rice (sometimes basmati) with ordinary american long-grain. You get the flavour of the fragrant rice but the hardness is tempered wth the long-grain - makes it softer to eat. It's also a frugal thing when she does it, the long-grain being much cheaper than the fragrant or basmati rice. It lasts twice as long!

[SheenaGreena]

since I grew up on korean rice, that's the only rice I use for all cuisines - except when I am eating out in public. Korean rice is great, cause its similar to japanese (I use japanese rice sometimes) and it works really really well when I am making risotto.

plus I have a hard time picking up chinese rice with chopsticks, it's not sticky enough

[Apicio]

Speaking of which, you have not tasted good rice until you've eaten rice that's fresh milled one day after harvest.

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Yes, and they were also used for present and rice from the previous harvest was called aged rice.

I had dinner at a Chinese-Japanese restaurant in Curitiba recently where they served Brazilian rice so desiring a bowl of rice that’s closer to what we have here in Toronto Chinese restaurants, i.e. rice that hold together, I asked for Japanese Rice whereupon they served me exactly the same Brazilian rice but in a Japanese laquer bowl.

Edited May 27, 2007 by Apicio (log)

[muichoi]

since I grew up on korean rice, that's the only rice I use for all cuisines - except when I am eating out in public.  Korean rice is great, cause its similar to japanese (I use japanese rice sometimes) and it works really really well when I am making risotto.

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Isn't that a bit like serving Carnaroli or Vialone nano with korean food? it doesn't behave in remotely the same way.

[BarbaraY]

We prefer Jasmine to basmati rice. I use it almost all the time except when making Japanese dishes. Then it's Botan, medium grain because that's all I can get.

I bought a bag labeled sushi rice and it was expensive and horrid and didn't make nice sushi at all.

[sheetz]

I personally prefer jasmine, but my folks still eat plain loh wah kiu fan. For saucier dishes like mapo dofu I like Botan calrose.

Edited May 28, 2007 by sheetz (log)

[jo-mel]

Add me to the medium grain rice list. I LOVE it because of the texture AND the taste.

Converted rice is OK and makes me feel better because it has a pretty good glycemic rating, but brown rice just leaves me cold --- inspite of its so called goodness.

In a small Cecelia Au Yeung cookbook, I once found a recipe for a steamed rice dish using long grain AND sticky rice , plus a lot of garlic and diced chicken fat. What a wonderful dish! I just loved the combination of the two rices, and of course all the garlic was wonderful!

[Carolyn Tillie]

I am a rice addict -- I would take it any old day over potatoes as a starch. When I walk down my hallway, there is a daily smell coming from my Chinese Consulate neighbor that spikes my craving. My comfort food is plain ole sticky white rice with a dash of salt and lots of butter. My Hawaiian godmother taught me her secret recipe for sticky Hawaiian Fried Rice and a batch of that will feed me for days...

At home, I am a big fan of the Forbidden Rice and Bhutanese Red Rice. I make Basmati rice to construct Lamb Biryani and my BF makes the best Risottos I have ever had (never order them in restaurants any more...)

[SheenaGreena]

since I grew up on korean rice, that's the only rice I use for all cuisines - except when I am eating out in public.  Korean rice is great, cause its similar to japanese (I use japanese rice sometimes) and it works really really well when I am making risotto.

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Isn't that a bit like serving Carnaroli or Vialone nano with korean food? it doesn't behave in remotely the same way.

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what is carnarolia or vialone nano? Is that a type or arborio rice? Of course my risotto isn't authentic, but hey I have huge 10 lb bags of rice and when I have it I'm going to use it for risotto. They both give off a lot of starch and I've seen other people use japanese or korean rice when it comes to making risotto so I thought I'd give it a try

[Peter Green]

since I grew up on korean rice, that's the only rice I use for all cuisines - except when I am eating out in public.  Korean rice is great, cause its similar to japanese (I use japanese rice sometimes) and it works really really well when I am making risotto.

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Isn't that a bit like serving Carnaroli or Vialone nano with korean food? it doesn't behave in remotely the same way.

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what is carnarolia or vialone nano? Is that a type or arborio rice? Of course my risotto isn't authentic, but hey I have huge 10 lb bags of rice and when I have it I'm going to use it for risotto. They both give off a lot of starch and I've seen other people use japanese or korean rice when it comes to making risotto so I thought I'd give it a try

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I did a side by side test once, using Carnoli and Korean rice. The visual appearance on the Carnoli was a little better, a little more distinct and pearled, but once they went into the mouth they were hardly distinguishable.

Back on topic, I'd generally go with Korean short grains, especially wih sauced dishes. But I'm also fond of the Thai black rice, especially with salmon.

And how can you not love sticky, glutinous rice? Anything you can make a snowman out of......

[muichoi]

since I grew up on korean rice, that's the only rice I use for all cuisines - except when I am eating out in public.  Korean rice is great, cause its similar to japanese (I use japanese rice sometimes) and it works really really well when I am making risotto.

←

Isn't that a bit like serving Carnaroli or Vialone nano with korean food? it doesn't behave in remotely the same way.

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what is carnarolia or vialone nano? Is that a type or arborio rice? Of course my risotto isn't authentic, but hey I have huge 10 lb bags of rice and when I have it I'm going to use it for risotto. They both give off a lot of starch and I've seen other people use japanese or korean rice when it comes to making risotto so I thought I'd give it a try

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Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are Italian rices, as is Arborio. I don't think one should be cavalier with other cuisines, myself,otherwise the world becomes homogeneous,which is dull. Of course small substitutions are fine, but a Risotto is a dish of Italian rice in which the other ingredients are secondary. It's like trying to make roast pork out of rabbit-it may be nice, but it's not the same thing.

[Ben Hong]

since I grew up on korean rice, that's the only rice I use for all cuisines - except when I am eating out in public.  Korean rice is great, cause its similar to japanese (I use japanese rice sometimes) and it works really really well when I am making risotto.

←

Isn't that a bit like serving Carnaroli or Vialone nano with korean food? it doesn't behave in remotely the same way.

←

what is carnarolia or vialone nano? Is that a type or arborio rice? Of course my risotto isn't authentic, but hey I have huge 10 lb bags of rice and when I have it I'm going to use it for risotto. They both give off a lot of starch and I've seen other people use japanese or korean rice when it comes to making risotto so I thought I'd give it a try

←

Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are Italian rices, as is Arborio. I don't think one should be cavalier with other cuisines, myself,otherwise the world becomes homogeneous,which is dull. Of course small substitutions are fine, but a Risotto is a dish of Italian rice in which the other ingredients are secondary. It's like trying to make roast pork out of rabbit-it may be nice, but it's not the same thing.

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Agreed 100%. Almost as bad as serving brown rice with a Chinese meal.

[SheenaGreena]

alright alright!!!!! I get it, next time I'll make my authentic italian risotto with some genuine italian rice fit for the dish. Hey I'm a poor college student and all I have is a big ol bag of korean rice.

at least I didn't try to make jook with oatmeal I kid I kid.

I also like korean black rice, but I only add like 1 tsp or 1 Tbs per cup of white rice depending on how purple I want my rice to be. I tried to make a risotto with black rice and mussels once and let's just say that I threw it in the trash the next day.

sweet rice is good, but I have never used it in savoury applications

[XiaoLing]

I really like Kokuho Rose Japanese rice.

I like the stickiness and its so good with saucy dishes (as everyone already mentioned.) I find that Jasmine or Basmati rice doesn't really absorb soups or sauces as well as Japanese or Korean rice.

My family buys 50 pound bags of Korean rice in NYC. We have a lot of mouths to feed.

[trillium]

Uncle Ben's for personal use has it's place...in the garbage can. But the restaurants catering to the loh fan love it because it makes no-clump fried rice. I would rather be jabbed in the eyeballs with an ice pick than eat brown rice.

Growing up, we only had plain long grain, but that was in the village eons ago when most people grew their own or just bought from their neighbours. Speaking of which, you have not tasted good rice until you've eaten rice that's fresh milled one day after harvest.

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Ben, the partner and you are in total agreement about brown rice. I grew up with a hippy mom and lots of brown rice and have tried, on occasion, to convince him to give brown rice a try, it being so good for you and all, but to no avail. He's very set in his rice ways and it's 50lb bags of jasmine rice from Thailand all the way (and Golden Phoenix in particular). We also have smaller bags of the best quality Japanese rice we can find (can't remember the name but it smells much better then the calrose types) and glutinous rice, both white and purple, for SE Asian dishes. We also have a nice aged Pakastani basmati, but it's for south Asian cooking or times we make a very Indian/Singaporean curry. You cook it much differently then you do "regular" rice.

Yaohan, in Chicago, used to have a machine where you could get your rice freshly milled and then take home both the bran and the rice. Dietarily speaking, that made sense to me, that you'd still include the bran in your diet somehow, even if it wasn't on the rice.

The one thing we have started doing occasionally is putting a couple of tablespoons of Thai grown brown jasmine rice into the pot, it's not a lot but it makes me feel better about getting a little extra whole grain in, and it isn't the gross American grown brown jasmine, so it actually tastes ok. I promise not to add it if you're ever at our house.

regards,

trillium