Contributed by Angela Cleveland

Rice is one of the oldest cultivated crops in human history. Most popular in China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia, it is a dietary staple for almost half of the world’s population. North America consumes only about 10% of the world’s rice consumption. These protein and fiber-packed grains offer us nutrition along with a wide variety of flavours and textures. Rice is so versatile that it can be added to almost any meal.

There are many different kinds of rice available to us including various types of coloured rice, short and medium grain rice, brown rice, and long grain rice. Coloured rices usually have a nutty or sweet taste to them and work well in salads and stuffing. Short and medium grain rices are generally stickier than the others and are good for desserts and risotto dishes. Brown rice has a nutty taste and works great as side dishes. Many types of the long grain rices have a popcorn-like taste to them and are great in stir-fry dishes.

Brown and white varieties of rice are the most common in North America. Brown rice has a bran coating that makes it more nutritious than white. Brown rice contains riboflavin, folate, iron, and magnesium and has three times the amount of fiber than white rice. Because white rice has had the husk, bran, and germ removed, most of nutrients are removed too. Keep in mind when cooking these two types that brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice.

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