Grain of the Week - 30 - Sweet Brown Rice

I am simply amazed at the number of different types of rice that are out there. Each with their own quirks, tastes and textures. Some are sticky, some are soft, some are glutinous, some smelly, some fragrant, some sweet - some not, some lend themselves to making idlis, most don't and some others are colorful and are packed with nutrition while the others are just filled with carbohydrates.

This sweet brown rice like the name suggests is sweet when cooked and is sticky. It is also supposed to be glutinous and used for making mochi and sushi. Glutinous does not mean gluten.

It is quite interesting when we look at the preferences of rice among Asians. While Asia is predominantly a rice eating continent each country prefers the texture of rice in a certain way. While Indians like their rice to be cooked soft and separate, the Thais and Chinese like their rice to be slightly sticking to each other. The Japanese like their rice quite sticky that it lends itself to be used in sushi and mochi. I had the pleasure of tasting mochi and they were delicious.

Most brown rice is unmilled retaining the bran and the kernel giving it a chewy nutty texture. Since the bran is left in place and has more oils than the cleaned out white rice it tends to go rancid quicker.

Sweet Brown Rice is grown in California to make Japanese products like Sushi and Mochi. Also called CalRose this California rice variety is popular in Asian countries as an exotic rice variety. Source.

You'd all agree that there is big wonderful world out there that is filled with exciting new varieties of rice that we have not seen before. Make every effort to try finding new varieties of rice and grains that would keep these varieties alive and in cultivation.



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