Rice

Rice is the world's most important crop, providing more than one fifth of the total calories consumed by humans. It is a type of grass native to Africa and south-eastern Asia, and acts as the dietary staple for most of Asia and Latin America - more than half of the world's population. Rice cultivation is well suited to regions and countries with high rainfall and low labour costs, as it requires plenty of water for irrigation and is very labour-intensive to cultivate. It is usually grown in flooded or irrigated coastal plains, river deltas or terraced hillsides. Nearly 620 million tonnes of rice is grown every year; more than 90% of it in Asia, particularly in China and India. However, some rice is also grown in South America (4%), Africa (3%), North America (1.6%) and Europe (0.5%). Italy, in particular, produces nearly 1.5 million tonnes a year.

There are thousands of varieties of rice, each with their own special properties. One of the most common methods of classifying rice is by length: long-, medium- or short-grain. The elongated, slender grains of long-grained rice stay separate and fluffy after cooking and are the best choice for serving as a side dish or as a bed for sauces. Medium-grained rice is slightly more sticky when cooked, and tends to clump together when cool. It is the type typically used for risottos, paellas and stir-fries. Short-grained rice is has a very high starch content, producing soft, tender grains that stick together when cooked. It is ideal for making creamy puddings, sushi and moulded salads.

Each of the rice varieties are usually also sold in both white and brown forms. Brown rice retains the husk, bran and germ that surround the kernel, making it chewier, nuttier and richer in nutrients than white rice, which has been milled to remove these materials. However, white rice is often enriched with nutrients, such as iron, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin to help restore its nutritional value.

Many white rice varieties have quite a bland taste, and so are ideal for using as a vehicle for other flavourful dishes, such as curries, stir-fried ingredients or stews. There are some varieties however, that have a delicate, fragrant taste and aroma, known as aromatic rice. Examples include basmati rice and jasmine rice.

Rice may also be processed into other forms, such as puffed rice, used for cereals and snacks; instant rice, which has been pre-cooked and then dried; and parboiled rice, which has been specially processed so that it retains more of the original nutrients than regular varieties of white rice. It may also be milled to produce rice flour and ground rice, both of which can be used as a thickening agent and for baking.

In this section, you'll find a guide to the most commonly used rice varieties, along with some ideas on how they can be used. There's also information about wild rice, which although not a true rice, is cooked and served as one.