Rice: Varieties, Storage, Preparation, Use

[weinoo]

9 hours ago, chromedome said:

I'm probably an outlier in the current crowd, in that I favor the whole-grain rices over white for general-purpose eating.

That's what is nice about the haiga rices, or the various levels of milling one can purchase via the Rice Factory. You get a little nuttier flavor, the alleged nutritional advantages, yet they cook quickly, and it's 2021 as opposed to the California health-food store craze of the 1970s.

 

I believe it was George Carlin (since comedians have been brought up) who once asked, back then, why everyone in health food stores looked like they were really sick.

[ElsieD]

12 hours ago, chromedome said:

Superstore carries a lot of specialty rices in smaller bags, Sobeys as well but to a lesser extent. You'll pay more on a per-weight basis, but it's still a useful way to try a bunch and see what you like. Also there's Bulk Barn, if you have one near you.

I've just finished a bag of red Thai "cargo" rice, which I quite liked. It's basically the same thing as brown rice, except for a slightly different set of phytochemicals giving it its color. I found the flavor quite nice, with a decidedly nutty undertone. I'm also partial to the black "forbidden" rice...I usually use it to make dessert (cooked in coconut milk, you get a rice pudding with a beautiful purple color) but it also works in savory dishes.

 

I'm probably an outlier in the current crowd, in that I favor the whole-grain rices over white for general-purpose eating. I have basmati, arborio and a run-of-the-mill Chinese long-grain white that I use for specific dishes.

We have a Bulk Barn which is where I bought the tasty basmati brown that I enjoyed so much and which became the impetuous for my little journey.  This red Thai Cargo rice - where did you get it and what is the brand?  @weinoo suggested I try the white jasmine which I will do but I'll also try some of the brown.  Black rice is on my list.

[chromedome]

15 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

We have a Bulk Barn which is where I bought the tasty basmati brown that I enjoyed so much and which became the impetuous for my little journey.  This red Thai Cargo rice - where did you get it and what is the brand?  @weinoo suggested I try the white jasmine which I will do but I'll also try some of the brown.  Black rice is on my list.

 

I'm pretty sure it was at Superstore. Not certain of the brand, because once I'd opened the bag I transferred it to a big Mason jar. It might have been Rooster brand, but I can't vouch for that.

[ElsieD]

30 minutes ago, chromedome said:

 

I'm pretty sure it was at Superstore. Not certain of the brand, because once I'd opened the bag I transferred it to a big Mason jar. It might have been Rooster brand, but I can't vouch for that.

I have a Superstore in walking distance so I'll take a look.  Thank you.  Still hunting down camargue.

[Katie Meadow]

On 11/29/2020 at 3:49 PM, weinoo said:

 

Is this the one you get, @JoNorvelleWalker?

Found this recently at my favorite Japanese/Asian market. Tokyo Market is up in north Berkeley and has the freshest fish ever, and a huge selection; it's a shlep, so we don't shop there routinely. This rice  is very good! Shorter grain that my usual Kokuho Rose Sushi rice, and a bit more of a bite if the ratio of rice to water is the same, no?

 

Last night we cooked the rice for a hybrid Cajun/Asian shrimp dish, and tonight I'm going to do a simple veg stir fry with cabbage, chinese chives, kohlrabi, choi sum and egg. Fun having a new rice!

[weinoo]

Yeah, it doesn’t surprise that it’s a little firmer the the Kokuho Rose. I like that in these rices. Glad you like it!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

Found this recently at my favorite Japanese/Asian market. Tokyo Market is up in north Berkeley and has the freshest fish ever, and a huge selection; it's a shlep, so we don't shop there routinely. This rice  is very good! Shorter grain that my usual Kokuho Rose Sushi rice, and a bit more of a bite if the ratio of rice to water is the same, no?

 

Last night we cooked the rice for a hybrid Cajun/Asian shrimp dish, and tonight I'm going to do a simple veg stir fry with cabbage, chinese chives, kohlrabi, choi sum and egg. Fun having a new rice!

 

That it is.

 

[AAQuesada]

I love Koshihikari in general so good. If you like to try new rice Tamanishiki is excellent 

[chefmd]

On special at H Mart today.  27 dollars for 15 lbs.

[weinoo]

That's great!

[dtremit]

Interesting new rice container from Yamazaki Home popped up in my feed:

 

 

It's divided vertically into twelve pre-measured chambers that each hold one rice cooker cup of rice. You simply slide the lid open on the right number of openings, and pour. Sounds convenient but I wonder if it would be a pain to fill.

[KennethT]

2 minutes ago, dtremit said:

Interesting new rice container from Yamazaki Home popped up in my feed:

 

 

It's divided vertically into twelve pre-measured chambers that each hold one rice cooker cup of rice. You simply slide the lid open on the right number of openings, and pour. Sounds convenient but I wonder if it would be a pain to fill.

How much convenient does it need to be than a small plastic cup that you dip into your rice jar or bag?  Plus, you shouldn't pour the raw rice directly into the rice cooker as it usually needs to be rinsed several times first to get rid of the surface starch.  So I guess, all in all, I don't really see the point.  To me, the most time consuming part of making rice is washing it initially (aside from any inactive soaking or cooking time).

[weinoo]

I don't even dip. I put the rice cooker bowl on a scale, and weigh the rice - now it's in the bowl I wash the rice in, and after draining, it's back on the scale for the amount of water needed. I find that by subtracting how much water is left clinging to the rice from the total amount of water needed, the rice comes out beautifully.

[liuzhou]

42 minutes ago, KennethT said:

it usually needs to be rinsed several times first to get rid of the surface starch

 

and dust and bits of dead insects. If you've ever been in a rice packing station, you'd wash that rice to death as do most Asians

[KennethT]

17 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I don't even dip. I put the rice cooker bowl on a scale, and weigh the rice - now it's in the bowl I wash the rice in, and after draining, it's back on the scale for the amount of water needed. I find that by subtracting how much water is left clinging to the rice from the total amount of water needed, the rice comes out beautifully.

wow.  I'm impressed.  While I'm usually very scientifically minded, my rice making is more of the "go as fast as you can without having to get out much stuff".  I put the raw dry rice in a strainer, and then put that in a bowl of water in the sink.  Swish. Take out the strainer, dump the starch water, refill, repeat a few times.  The last time, take the strainer out, give it a tap, then dump into rice cooker, spread around evenly, then add water to where it needs to go (for 2 cups jasmine, I add water to just under halfway between and 2 and 3 lines).  I'm sure the scale makes yours much more easily repeatable without all the eyeballing I need to do.

[heidih]

I'm more laissez-faire  - rinse it in cooker insert.  Drain tilted with hand on rice. Can't afford rice in our drains. Years of no oops and good rice.

[Eatmywords]

42 minutes ago, KennethT said:

wow.  I'm impressed.  While I'm usually very scientifically minded, my rice making is more of the "go as fast as you can without having to get out much stuff".  I put the raw dry rice in a strainer, and then put that in a bowl of water in the sink.  Swish. Take out the strainer, dump the starch water, refill, repeat a few times.  The last time, take the strainer out, give it a tap, then dump into rice cooker, spread around evenly, then add water to where it needs to go (for 2 cups jasmine, I add water to just under halfway between and 2 and 3 lines).  I'm sure the scale makes yours much more easily repeatable without all the eyeballing I need to do.

I think that's the norm.  The containers are cool but impractical if the compartments only hold a cup.  A lifetime of restocking. Perhaps some colorful rocks or sea shells.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

I'm sure the scale makes yours much more easily repeatable without all the eyeballing I need to do.

 

Yes...I've become a fan of the scale for rice cooker rice cooking. With rice that doesn't get rinsed (e.g. bomba, carnaroli, etc.), I go a little more freehand.

As @liuzhou mentions, and as Roy Choi has often mentioned on Chef - he's OCD, and he washes rice 5x.

[KennethT]

6 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Yes...I've become a fan of the scale for rice cooker rice cooking. With rice that doesn't get rinsed (e.g. bomba, carnaroli, etc.), I go a little more freehand.

As @liuzhou mentions, and as Roy Choi has often mentioned on Chef - he's OCD, and he washes rice 5x.

I wash mine like 4-5 times also - sometimes it takes that much just to get the water to a point where it stops being more clear than the previous wash.  Plus, I don't use that much water for each.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

8 hours ago, weinoo said:

I don't even dip. I put the rice cooker bowl on a scale, and weigh the rice - now it's in the bowl I wash the rice in, and after draining, it's back on the scale for the amount of water needed. I find that by subtracting how much water is left clinging to the rice from the total amount of water needed, the rice comes out beautifully.

As you know from our previous encounters, I am a peasant cook.    Scale only for baking.    Rinse rice in a strainer, dump in cocotte.   Add water to one knuckle over height of rice.  Bring to simmer.  Cover.   Cook 15 minutes.   Heat off for 15 minutes.    Fluff.   Enjoy.

[liuzhou]

I have this stainless steel cup hanging on the kitchen wall, near the rice cooker on the counter. It holds exactly how much rice I want to cook at any one time. If I have guests I add extra cupfuls. Like most people here, I wash the rice thoroughly in the rice cooker bowl, pouring the starchy, dusty, insecty water away until it is clear. So, I'm effectively washing the rice and the bowl at the same time.

 

Edited March 24 by liuzhou (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I will weigh all sorts of things but for rice I simply put the Zojirushi 1 go measure in my Japanese rice washing bowl and top up with rice.  I wash the rice three times and dump the washed rice in the Zojirushi bowl.  Then I add water up to the 1 go mark.  I press the button.

 

Why complicate life unnecessarily?

 

[palo]

@JoNorvelleWalker😀

 

Japanese rice washing bowl:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00FYT4VMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Really works (water not rice is drained) and is really really cheap!

 

p

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 minutes ago, palo said:

@JoNorvelleWalker😀

 

Japanese rice washing bowl:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00FYT4VMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Really works (water not rice is drained) and is really really cheap!

 

p

 

Rather similar to what I use:

http://amzn.com/B004QZAAS2

 

 

[palo]

I'd say they were exactly the same.

 

p