Difference Between Red Rice & Brown Rice

Rice Paddy.

Rice is a good source of energy and fiber, and it's eaten in nearly every country of the world. There are more than 7,000 varieties of cultivated rice.

Processing

After rice is harvested, it is cleaned and the outer covering, called a hull or chaff, is removed. The remaining rice is brown, red or sometimes black, depending upon the seeds it originated from. If the layers of bran are then removed, white rice remains.

Brown Rice

Brown rice is chewy and more nutritious than white rice, due to the layers of bran that remain.

Red Rice

Like brown rice, red rice also maintains the bran, resulting in a chewy, nutritious rice. Red rice is mainly grown in Europe, India and Southeast Asia.

Type of Grain

Both brown and red rice can be long-, medium- or short-grain. The long- grain variety is drier and fluffs when cooked. Short-grain rice has higher starch content and is sticky when cooked.

Cooking

Brown and red rice are whole-grain rice. They each require approximately 60 minutes of boiling time to soften.

Comparison

Brown and red rice come from different types of seeds, but are equivalent in nutrition and cooking time. The main difference is the taste, which is a matter of personal preference.

References

• Whole Foods Market: Guide to Rice
• Riviana: How Rice is Processed
• The Cook's Thesaurus: Rice

Resources

• Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas: Oraganic Rice Production
• Recipe Zaar: Rice
• Purcell Mountain Farms: Red Matta Rice