Do you know that there are many different types of rice in the world? Rice is an essential part of people’s daily meals for its nutritious values and tastiness! If you have reached this article, I bet that you are curious about this delectable food, so stick around!
Right here in this article, I will provide you with a complete list of many types of rice that will surely amaze you! Some of them are popular around the world, but some are only famous in a few countries. They are all delicious with distinctive characteristics.
What Exactly Is Rice?
Rice is a super famous staple food all over the world, especially in Asian and African cuisines. It is one of the most important parts of their daily diet. The farmers will cultivate and harvest rice grains from the rice fields every year.
Rice cultivation has a long and complex history. The very first cultivation began in China from 13,500 to 8,200 years ago. From then on, the rice trade and migration have spread to every part of the world with tons of different varieties in different geographies.
Before steaming rice, rinsing it first is a must to eliminate the starch and dirt during harvesting. Then, people will bring them to boil in a rice cooker or any other method. The cooked rice flavors vary based on the type of rice you use.
If you don’t have rice in hand, you may want to replace rice in a meal with other foods like riced cauliflower or barley. However, steamed rice has a distinctive taste and texture that you may not find in any other food items!
The most recognizable appearance feature of rice types is the grain length. It also indicates the texture of cooked rice, so it is essential to sort rice varieties by length. This dish starting with “R” will have three main categories: short, medium, and long.
6 Typical Types Of Short-Grain Rice You Should Not Miss
The rice types with short grains are usually sticky, viscous with starchy clumps, and consist of a chubby, round shape. What are the most popular types of short-grain rice? Dive into this section to explore more!
1. Glutinous Rice (Sticky Rice)
You can find glutinous rice, or sticky rice, mostly in Asian countries because it is a superstar there. Asians use it to make traditional cakes and dishes like Japanese Mochi, Sekihan, or Vietnamese Xôi, such as Vietnamese sticky rice with peanut.
Glutinous rice’s grain is opaque and round with high starch and low amylose content. As its name suggests, it will become sticky, glutinous, and super chewy to taste when you cook it! Eating this type of rice may also make heart health better and prevent inflammation!
There is more than one traditional way to cook sticky rice!
2. Bamboo Rice
Bamboo rice gets its name for being made from bamboo shoots. It is tough to find bamboo rice in local stores since it’s not that popular. When cooked, it includes a moist and sticky texture, so it usually appears in Risotto-like dishes, Sushi, and many more.
People will treat bamboo rice with the liquid extracted from young bamboo plants. They will also add chlorophyll during the milling process, which brings a lot of vitamin B to the rice. This process also provides an aromatic flavor of jasmine green tea to bamboo rice.
Bamboo rice can be a great substitute for white or brown rice, and many cooks like to serve it with stir-fry. It will add an attractive jade hue and delicate, subtle flavor to your dishes, such as pork chops or salmon. Bamboo rice may also add a festive feeling!
3. Sushi Rice
Sushi rice is the perfect rice to make a traditional Japanese dish named Sushi! It is also sticky when steamed but still maintains its original shape and firm, fluffy texture. It gets along well with seafood, especially raw seafood in Sushi.
You can quickly get the most authentic commercial Sushi rice in most grocery stores and supermarkets. It also includes a very high starch content similar to glutinous rice.
More detailed names of Sushi rice are in Japanese, which are Akitakomachi, Koshihikari, and Hitomebore. Don’t worry; you don’t have to remember these complex names since this type of rice will just be labeled as “Sushi rice” in most grocery stores and supermarkets.
4. Bomba Rice
Bomba rice has a high content of amylose, so it has a consistent texture that is not as sticky as other types. It includes a beautiful pearly white with a rich flavor and neutral smell. It’ll absorb more water than ordinary rice when you cook it and become much chewier.
Bomba rice is a rare type of rice from Spain. The Spanish use it to make Paella, Arroz a Banda, Risotto, or even regular table rice.
5. Arborio Rice
Arborio rice is native to Italy, and Italians love to use it to make their traditional dishes like Risotto, Arancini, and Minestrone. Steamed Arborio rice will have a chewy and creamy texture with an aromatic smell. It can hold its shape really well after being cooked.
You may also use barley or quinoa to replace Arborio rice in a recipe, but its creamy flavor may be hard to replace. To make the traditional Italian dishes, it is best to use Arborio rice!
Let’s see the differences between Arborio rice and long-grain rice!
6. Samba Rice
Samba rice is grown in Tamil Nadu during the Samba season, which is usually from August to January. It consists of a longer growing duration than most rice types. The Samba rice grains are very short and hard, resulting in a less fluffy texture when steamed.
Samba rice has high fiber content and a corny flavor. It is a typical ingredient to make an Indian traditional dish called Biriyani.
You may bump into different types of sub-varieties of Samba rice, which vary based on the price and grain size. Seeraga Samba is an example with the highest price. It also has the smallest grain, which is only one third of the Basmati rice grain size.
4 Types Of Medium-Grain Rice For You To Try
Most medium-grain rice types are moist and tender, so they stick together when fully cooked. Learn about their characteristics and how to use them to cook delectable dishes!
7. Black Rice
Black rice originates from China. Cooked black rice has a chewy texture with a mild earthy and nutty taste that is easy to eat. It gets the black color from plant compounds called anthocyanin.
When you cook black rice, the color will slightly turn dark purple. Chinese often use black rice for making black rice cake, porridge, bread, noodles, or many dessert dishes.
You can easily store this rice with a lot of methods since it does not go bad quickly. People also call black rice Chinese Forbidden rice for its rare harvesting with only 10% yield. During Ancient China, black rice was only for the high-class to enjoy since it was so expensive.
Here’s more information about this fascinating black rice!
8. Purple Thai Rice
Purple Thai rice has a gorgeous purple color that won’t fade away even after being fully cooked. You can use it to make both sweet or savory dishes since it has a really neutral flavor and chewy texture.
A famous sweet treat from purple Thai rice is steamed rice with some coconut milk.
9. Valencia Rice
Valencia rice from Spain has a lot of starch inside and absorbs much water. It also consists of a sticky, creamy texture suitable for making Spanish Paella, rice pudding, soups, stews, and many other dishes.
Valencia rice may turn softer quickly while you cook it, so make sure that you use an appropriate amount of water and always take care of it. This type of rice is cheap and suitable for those having much experience in cooking.
10. Rosematta Rice
Rosematta rice is a popular rice type from India. It is packed with many minerals and vitamins that are really good for your health. It contains an earthy taste and a beautiful white to reddish color. Indians often pair steamed Rosematta rice with beef, lamb, or mutton.
Rosematta rice gets its name from the yellowish pink shade with a reddish cover. The color of this rice will stay after the cooking process. You should add an appropriate ratio of this rice type and water in a rice cooker for a better final quality. It is usually double cooked.
11. Sona Masuri
Sona Masuri is actually a cross between Sona and Mahsuri rice varieties. It is lightweight with an aromatic smell. You can also find it in Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and some Middle Eastern countries.
Sona Masuri rice is primarily used in South Indian cuisine. The locals often use it as an ingredient for sweet Pongal, Biryani, Idlis, or fried rice. You can add this rice to your dietary meal since it has a low calorie content and is perfect for weight controlling!
You may want to learn more about the process of making Sona Masuri rice!
11 Best Types Of Long-Grain Rice You Should Taste
Long-grain rice types may be the most common rice varieties you often meet in a grocery store or supermarket. They are super easy to find and cook. You can make a lot of dishes using these types of rice! So don’t hesitate and scroll down to learn more about them!
12. White Rice
Here you go, the most versatile type of rice on Earth! White rice is famous worldwide and can literally show up in many dishes from any cuisine for its plain taste!
White rice consists of a slightly sticky, fluffy texture. You should know that the longer the grain size is, the fluffier it may become when cooked. In contrast, the shorter grain size, the stickier texture at the end.
White rice is perfect for stuffing and stir-frying dishes. You can definitely find many high-quality commercial white rice brands in grocery stores around your house. It will provide enough energy for you for a long working day with a high calories content!
13. Brown Rice
Brown rice is another typical long-grain rice that provides more dietary fiber and fewer calories for your body. Therefore, it is a great source of staple food for a strict diet. Steamed brown rice includes a light nutty taste and aromatic smell.
Brown rice has hard grains that may take you more time to fully cook it than white rice. It may also need soaking beforehand, but the result is totally worth the wait!
“Is brown rice suitable for a gluten diet?” is a more common question than you might think. Fortunately, everyone, people who’re sensitive to gluten included, can safely enjoy this delicious rice variety.
Here’s basically how you can cook brown rice perfectly!
14. Basmati Rice
Basmati rice is native to India. It consists of an aromatic fragrant, flavorful taste, and airy texture when fully cooked. Indians like to steam and serve it with some traditional side dishes and fresh herbs. It is also a great ingredient for rice Pilaf with some nuts.
You can easily find the most delicious store-bought Basmati rice in any grocery store or Indian market. It is as popular as white rice. If you are into Indian curries, you should know that basmati rice is best when served with curries, so try!
Basmati rice is the only rice type that is aged over time. It will turn from white to golden shade when it gets old. The more aged it becomes, the more aromatic and expensive it gets. There is also a brown Bastima rice with a more flavorful taste and longer cooking duration.
15. Wild Rice
Wild rice is not actually rice. It is the seed of an aquatic grass. This special type of rice appears in lake regions in North America.
Wild rice has a signature long shape and an earthy, nutty flavor. When you cook it properly, it will become tender and chewy. It absorbs water slowly, so it may take a little bit longer to fully cook it.
Raw wild rice is colorful, but it will split and show the white color inside when cooked. You can always purchase it online and make it into delectable soups, stew, or stuff it inside poultry! Use it in your salads to get a filling and textural dish!
16. Red Rice
Red rice gets its color from anthocyanin, a dyeing antioxidant in rice. This type of rice is famous in Africa, Thailand, and some regions of Bhutan.
Locals often cook red rice with many typical herbs and spices like garlic, chili, pepper for a beautiful rice dish on the table! It is slightly chewy and firm outside but soft on the inside when properly cooked.
17. Red Cargo Rice
Red Cargo rice is non-glutinous rice packed with lots of vitamins and nutrients. It will taste sweet and nutty if you cook it perfectly with a chewier texture than classic white rice. You may want to soak it in plain water for half an hour beforehand.
People usually turn steamed Red Cargo rice into a base for summer rice salads. It is super healthy and delicious!
18. Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is mostly grown in Thailand but is also a popular food in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. It has an aromatic and slightly sweet taste. Its texture when cooked is soft, fluffy, and sticky.
There are many differences between Jasmine rice and Basmati rice. Their pleasant smell tends to be alike, but the fresh Jasmine rice aroma is far more intense. The aromatic smell may fade away after the storing process, that’s why freshly cut is more expensive.
Steamed Jasmine rice will complete your curry dish with its plain but nutty flavor. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it very much when you first taste it!
Don’t have a rice cooker to cook Jasmine rice? Here’s how you can cook it on the stovetop!
19. Indrayani Rice
If you have a chance to visit India and want to eat what locals eat, you must try Indrayani rice! It is a super famous type of rice in this country that is used to make thousands of traditional dishes like Khichdi, Pulao, Risotto, Kheer, Thai curries, and many others.
Indrayani rice has a sticky, clumpy, and slightly mushy texture when it is fully cooked. It is also a healthy rice type that is good for your health!
20. Parboiled Rice
Parboiled rice must go through a soak – steam – dry process before getting milled, and the hull is eliminated, making it harder and firmer. Therefore, cooked Parboiled rice will have a fluffy and light texture with loose grains. This may also depend on the grain length.
Parboiled rice dives in light yellow to golden shade from the outside moving towards the kernel inside. You can use this rice to make Biryani. It will surely be an excellent complement to your dish!
Compared to mild white rice, Parboiled rice consists of a more delicate, subtle taste and a firmer texture. It’s like the perfect combination of different rice types with a neutral flavor of white rice and a nutty flavor of brown rice. Its grains even have more minerals and vitamins!
21. Mogra Rice
Mogra rice is a non-glutinous type of rice that is native to India. It is super fluffy when cooked, and people like to use it in traditional Indian dishes like Pulao or Biryani. You may find its taste distinctive from other types of rice!
Most Mogra rice is affordable because it is broken rice with really small grains. There is a tiny variety of Mogra rice named Kinki rice, which is a broken rice type with the grain size less than 60% of the original grain size of full length rice.
Which Type Of Rice Will Show Up In Your Meal Tonight?
I have revealed everything about different types of rice! Now it’s your turn to pick the best rice option for the family’s dinner! They all have excellent taste and texture, along with some essential food items. It is all up to you!
I hope that you feel satisfied with this article! If you love it, make a move to hit the like and share button! Don’t be afraid to leave me some words under this article! I love to read and reply to all of your ideas! Hope to see you soon!
