Grain of the Week - 40 - Jasmine Rice

Jasmine Rice is a long grain variety of rice that is also called fragrant Thai rice. Jasmine is available as both brown rice and white rice. The brown rice has a better nutrition profile than the white rice.

Jasmine rice when cooked is bright white and they stick together. This is different than when Basmati rice is cooked where the grains are separate. We usually prefer eating Jasmine Rice as accompaniment with Chinese stir fries. The scent and aroma when cooked is caused by the chemical 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline which is present in elevated levels in most fragrant rice. An electric rice cooker or stove top might be the best method of cooking rather than a pressure cooker.

Jasmin Rice is originally from Thailand where it is has been cultivated for centuries initially mainly for royalty. The rice today is popular all over South East Asia.

While the nutrition profile of most white rice varieties don't differ by much, the history of rice and how they came to be are very interesting.



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