Definition of Long Grain Rice
There are three commercial grades of rice: long, medium and short grain. Many people choose to cook with long grain rice for its long and fluffy texture, its complex and aromatic flavors, and its nutritional value. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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Long grain rice is much longer than it is wide. Long grain rice can be brown or white. Kernels are roughly 7 millimeters long, and they are roughly four to five times as long as they are wide.
Characteristics
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Long grain rice cooks into fluffy, dry grains that pull apart easily. According to Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry, long grain white rice is the "all-purpose flour" of rice and can be substituted for any rice in most recipes. It is a staple of Indian and Thai cuisine.
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Considerations
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Brown long grain rice is more nutritious than white long grain rice because fewer of its nutrients are stripped away in the harvest and preparation process. When cooked, brown long grain rice is higher in dietary fiber and protein than white, though white long grain rice has a higher iron content.
Types
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The most popular and well-known long grain rice types are Indian Basmati rice and Thai Jasmine rice. Other long grain rice types include Wehani and American Southern Long Grain.
Expert Insight
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Long grain rice cooks into a fluffy, easily separating grain because of a particular starch it contains called amylose. It is also lower in starch than shorter grained varieties.
Preparation
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Simmer one cup of long grain rice with two cups of liquid (broth, stock or water) to make three cups of cooked long grain rice. Boil the liquid, add the uncooked rice, and turn the heat down to a simmer. After 20 minutes or when the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and let the rice steam with the lid on for two minutes.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of WRI Staff Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Hafiz Ismail
