Who in the World Eats Brown Rice?

[Shel_B]

I ordered a cheapo Proctor Silex rice cooker from Amazon to research this further. I want to like brown rice.

I've been eating brown rice for years, and enjoy the texture and nutty flavor. Recently, I've been eating more brown rice (I never ate much rice, to begin with). I tried the Massa Organics brown rice http://www.massaorganics.com/ and found it to be delicious, but there are other excellent choices available.

I don't have a rice cooker, and have always made the brown rice on the stovetop. Recently I was introduced to baking brown rice - my, oh my. Easy and very nice, consistent results. Highly recommended - however, it's important to get the rice/liquid proportions right as well as oven time-temp. 1 1/2 cups of rice and 21/3 cups of liquid seems to work very well and a 375-degree oven for one hour gives me pretty good results. Still fine tuning, though.

My latest adventure into using brown rice is baking a mixture of wild rice and brown rice - still working on the cooking times for the wild rice as it is different from the brown. Right now I'm using cultivated wild rice, but have ordered real, native-American-gathered wild rice and am anxiously waiting for its arrival.

I highly recommend brown rice in a lot of dishes, or mixed with other grains as a tasty, healthy alternative to white rice. Yes, it's somewhat of an aquired taste, but using good quality brown rice and mastering the cooking techniques will result in a more satisfying dish than using insipid supermarket rice and careless, back-of-the-box cooking directions.

The Cook's Illustrated recipe for Brown Rice, Parmesan, Lemon and Herbs is, as noted in an earlier post, terrific, although I changed the amounts of some of the ingredients to suit my taste and the fact that I made it with some wild rice added. I'd be happy to shoot it out to anyone who's interested.

[Syzygies]

At the individual level, we're creatures of habit, and there's the anchovy effect: How should one reason after tasting one's first anchovy, invariably a seriously nasty business topping a bad pizza? It could be explained away as an inexplicable food obsession for some, like Vegemite, or that fermented shark that Icelanders have to get really drunk to eat. Or one could reason that for something so horribly debased to have survived, the best of category must be truly spectacular. Sanfilippo anchovies from Cantabria answer that question.

At the country level, we don't respond to shocks well. The United States is the poster child for this effect: decades after prohibition, most beer consumed in the US could pass for Coors Light. Many nations ate what they could during World War II, such as brown rice in Japan, and went out of their way to avoid the same foods with later prosperity.

The form of the brown rice question that interests me is this: What did the world brown rice map look like a few centuries ago, before any current form of social postering distorted the map?

I suspect that all rice was processed with entirely practical concerns in mind, balancing preservation and nutrition. I helped thrash rice with some traditional people in rural Thailand, and that's the rice I saw; I wish I could buy that rice. Partially processed by hand, it didn't need to pass as brown or white. It was simply their rice.

We grind our own flour for virtually all purposes, using various sieves to remove some or all bran. Our 80% extraction (for comparison, Pain Poilâne is closer to 90%) resembles a chestnut colored white flour, denser but passing through a sieve that won't pass bought white flour. Parallel to this thread, I used to detest whole wheat products, hippie concrete that tasted like a roll of unbleached paper towels fell in. Then I learned that one could do better.

I passed a sample of freshly ground flour to a Calabrian family of serious cooks, and heard back that the grandmother was horrified we'd thrown out the bran. One is supposed to make a mash to feed the chickens; we had actually composted it. Here, neither white nor brown was the traditional flour through much of Europe, when mills were a local affair, and one didn't hang on to milled flour for long. Whole grains are the perfect form for storage.

The nutrients that are replaced in highly refined flour (and some rices) match the nutrients lost through overprocessing.

The healthiest way to eat is to avoid all processed foods as much as possible. As in, most of the pie chart of what one eats each week is self-processed, not extrusions from some factory. It is hard enough to eat organic, which simply requires affluence (and ignores the issue that one needs to manufacture fertilizer to grow enough food to feed the planet). To process one's own food requires time. From this perspective, brown rice is a very easy place to start.

[scubadoo97]

I don't eat brown rice as often as white although I like the chewy texture. The extra cook time was a deterrent plus I really like white rice for most rice dishes<br /><br />I recently started using the pressure cooker to make brown rice and really like the results and it takes half the time

[LindaK]

Recently I picked up some brown basmati rice at Trader Joe's. It's got the nutty flavor and chewy texture of traditional brown rice, but it's much lighter. It took ~5 minutes longer to cook than white basmati, but not a big deal. I'm a convert!

[GlorifiedRice]

What is that Brown Rice GABA setting on some rice cookers for?

Also is there such a thing as BROWN Mochiko?

[Broken English]

It may be healthier than white, but I like rice as a neutral flavour to absorb whatever it's served with. Brown rice adds an unpleasant flavour and aroma to food, and I would sooner go without.

If I want a nutty flavour that doesn't taste muddy and odd and won't make me run away screaming, I'll take wild rice any day of the week.

[AriadneArts]

. . . The article recommends an organic brown rice grower, Massa Organics, which is supposed to produce a mature, tasty brown rice. http://www.massaorganics.com/The article also gives what is supposed to be a good recipe for properly cooking brown rice. http://www.saveur.com/article/food/Perfect-Brown-RiceKnickerbocker's article makes a good argument about trying brown rice again, the good mature organic kind, properly cooked. And if I were the least bit openminded about the subject, which I'm not, I would give it another try.

The problem I have with boiling the rice is when you drain it, you're pouring a lot of the nutrition down the drain, whereas in steaming, it absorbs all the water and retains all the nutrients. Also, the article instructs one to use the same amount of water per cup regardless of the type of rice. In my many years of eating and cooking rice, I have found that certain types, like the pearl/calrose types may take more water than the long grain, (and certainly brown rice takes more water than white, as a rule). Also, the age of the rice figures into the equation: rice that's been sitting on the market shelves longer will need more water to cook. My first batch cooked from a new bag of rice is therefore an experiment, after which I know how much water it really needs. I do use my rice cooker and, as others have said, it makes perfect rice every time, as long as I get the amount of water right for that particular type.

[Shel_B]

On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2013 at 0:32 PM, Shel_B said:

I've been eating brown rice for years, and enjoy the texture and nutty flavor. Recently, I've been eating more brown rice (I never ate much rice, to begin with). I tried the Massa Organics brown rice http://www.massaorganics.com/ and found it to be delicious, but there are other excellent choices available.

 

 

For the past year or so I've been enjoying Koda brown rice.  I find it superior in some ways to the Massa, although both are excellent and I use them interchangeably.

 

Proprietary Conventional and Certified Organic Heirloom Whole Grain Brown Kokuho Rose® brand

– medium grain – rice grown exclusively on Koda Farms since the 1950s.  Unlike modern varieties, Kokuho

Rose is a true heirloom, possessing hallmarks that stand in stark contrast to those considered desirable in

industrial scale farming.  In essence, Kokuho Rose is slow to mature, low in yield, and tall in stature – adding

significant effort to its production. Preserving this proprietary strain of rice requires a three year commitment

merely to produce the seed, which Koda Farms fulfills by maintaining their private seed nurseries. A perfect

expression of the land it was specifically bred to thrive upon, we consider our rice to be “au terroir”.  Whole

grain with bran layer intact, our genmai (Japanese for “brown rice”) is  complex and subtle, light floral flavor

with a naturally slightly sweet afternote. Tender texture, but more substantial than our white KR. . Perfect for

table rice, sushi, as well as other traditional medium grain preparations which depend on a similar starch profile

such as Italian risotto and Spanish paella. Again, our product averages less than 2% broken kernels.  (USDA

industry standard allows up to 4% broken kernels.)  Versions: Conventional and Certified Organic by CCOF

(California Certified Organic Farmers), certified Kosher by KSA, GMO free (Non-GMO Project Verified), Gluten

free. No additives of any sort, pure, unadulterated rice.  Package formats: 50Lbs, 15Lbs, 10Lbs, 5Lbs, & 1Lb

[GlorifiedRice]

On 9/16/2008 at 10:20 PM, maggiethecat said:

I hang my head with shame and admit that I hate brown rice. Seems most of the world does too, including my new extended Asian family -- you can bet that their rice cookers are churning out the white stuff, not the long-cooking crunchy gluey healthy stuff, with its whiffs of Birkenstocks. I may be way off here, which is why I'm starting this topic: is there a place in the world where brown rice is the rule, not the exception?

I'd love some geographical guidance.

 

Try the quick cook brown rice from Aldi.

 

I love all rice. I could eat a whole pot of plain rice, white, brown, red, green or purple. Its all good.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I detest brown rice.

 

[GlorifiedRice]

32 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I detest brown rice.

 

 

Why though? What is the reason behind that?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Valid question:  I dislike the taste and texture of brown rice.  Probably more a question of taste for me than texture.

 

Most recently I tried Tamaki Haiga -- didn't really like that either but I finished up the bag*

Tamaki - Haiga, 5-lb bag

 

*Except for a pound or so I was able to give away.

 

Edited January 10, 2017 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[kayb]

I, on the other hand, love it. Will happily use brown rice any time I can get away with it when white is called for.

 

And as one who grew up eating rice with brown sugar and butter as a hot breakfast cereal, can I just say that brown rice is MUCH better in that application than white. In my book.

 

[GlorifiedRice]

On 1/6/2017 at 5:30 PM, kayb said:

I, on the other hand, love it. Will happily use brown rice any time I can get away with it when white is called for.

 

And as one who grew up eating rice with brown sugar and butter as a hot breakfast cereal, can I just say that brown rice is MUCH better in that application than white. In my book.

 

 

Kayb?

The Indian food store has Brown Poha, that'd be great as cereal.

 

Amazon has some too: Conscious Food Organic Poha - Organic Brown Rice

Edited January 10, 2017 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[gfweb]

I like white rice that has been made brown with soy

[liuzhou]

Isn't it interesting that the major rice eating cultures of the world seldom, if ever, eat brown rice? Perhaps, they know something!

 

Nearly all my neighbours eat rice at least twice a day, sometimes more. Always white. I wouldn't know where to buy brown rice. White, red, black. No problem. Brown. Never seen.

Edited January 7, 2017 by liuzhou (log)

[Katie Meadow]

This is a peculiar thread. At first when I saw it several years ago I thought the intention was simply to identify locales in the world where it was common to eat brown rice, but I see no one else thought about it like that. I grew up eating Uncle Ben's. In the late sixties and into the seventies I ate plenty of brown rice and so did everyone I knew. There were a few years of gloppy casseroles and god know's what. Whatever was good for us about brown rice was drowned in cheese and zucchini and tofu.

 

I can't remember the last time I ate brown rice. It must have been 25 or 30 years now that I've eaten exclusively white rice. I just don't like brown rice at all any more, and honestly I don't know if I ever did. When I go out for Asian food it's always white rice. At Thai restaurants I love to order sticky rice. At home I cook rice almost every day, and it is always white basmati; with chicken, fish, stir-fry, curry, etc. I'm an addict. I can be happy with just a bowl of white rice and a little butter and salt. If I want a change, and something heartier and more rustic I switch to bulgur wheat or farro, but that's mostly in soups. I eat white rice with just about everything. 

[liuzhou]

21 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

In the late sixties and into the seventies I ate plenty of brown rice and so did everyone I knew. There were a few years of gloppy casseroles and god know's what. Whatever was good for us about brown rice was drowned in cheese and zucchini and tofu.

 

I was trying to forget that! Macrobiotic Misery. I used to sneak out for a steak sandwich on the sly!

Edited January 7, 2017 by liuzhou (log)

[haresfur]

2 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Isn't it interesting that the major rice eating cultures of the world seldom, if ever, eat brown rice? Perhaps, they know something!

 

Nearly all my neighbours eat rice at least twice a day, sometimes more. Always white. I wouldn't know where to buy brown rice. White, red, black. No problem. Brown. Never seen.

 

 

I thought I read somewhere that brown rice tend to go rancid whereas white rice keeps longer so perhaps eating white rice is a hold-over from an age with poorer options for storage and distribution. (Edit to add: Probably way up thread )

 

Personally, I don't care what anyone else eats. I like white rice but usually prefer brown.

Edited January 7, 2017 by haresfur (log)

[helenjp]

Yes, that's why - brown rice doesn't keep as well. But on the other hand, traditionally people kept their rice unhulled, and just hulled and polished enough to be going on with. And there is and was considerably variation in how much polishing people give their rice.

I buy (hulled) brown rice, and polish it just before washing and cooking it. It cooks up to a soft white color, not the blinding white of fully polished rice, and you can just see the remains of the germ on the grain. The bran is useful too, for pickling and for keeping our compost active and in good condition.

[lindag]

I kind of wonder if the reason I don't like brown rice is rather like the reason I don't really like hot tea.

With tea, I always think it should taste like coffee.

With brown rice, I always think it should taste like white rice.

[GlorifiedRice]

8 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Isn't it interesting that the major rice eating cultures of the world seldom, if ever, eat brown rice? Perhaps, they know something!

 

Nearly all my neighbours eat rice at least twice a day, sometimes more. Always white. I wouldn't know where to buy brown rice. White, red, black. No problem. Brown. Never seen.

 

 

I use brown rice to make my dogs food

[GlorifiedRice]

6 hours ago, haresfur said:

 

I thought I read somewhere that brown rice tend to go rancid whereas white rice keeps longer so perhaps eating white rice is a hold-over from an age with poorer options for storage and distribution. (Edit to add: Probably way up thread )

 

Personally, I don't care what anyone else eats. I like white rice but usually prefer brown.

 

 

Remember the rule with grains, If it smells like CRAYONS, its rancid and its time to toss it!

Edited January 7, 2017 by GlorifiedRice
Spelling (log)

[liuzhou]

14 minutes ago, GlorifiedRice said:

 

I use brown rice to make my dogs food

 

I just eat the dogs.

[liuzhou]

On 28/06/2013 at 9:24 PM, Syzygies said:

The healthiest way to eat is to avoid all processed foods as much as possible.

 

Hmmm. Almost all food is "processed". Cooking is a process. Farming is arguably a process.

 

Quote

We grind our own flour for virtually all purposes, using various sieves to remove some or all bran.

 

Process

Edited January 7, 2017 by liuzhou (log)