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Where does the recipe come from, where does the rice come from
Did you know that two-thirds of the world’s rice harvest is eaten in the immediate vicinity of the place where it was grown. Therefore, when trying to build an Uzbek pilaf, do not be too lazy to go to the market and buy rice. devzira from the Uzbeks, and if, for example, you are aiming at risotto, do not be greedy and get a pack of Italian “arborio“Or”Roma».
Form and content
There is a clear connection between the shape of rice and its properties (with rare exceptions). The shorter or whiter the grain, the softer it is, the more water takes up the rice, the more it swells and the more sticky it becomes. This kind of rice is popular in Southeast Asia, China and Japan. It is convenient to eat it with chopsticks, it is used to make sushi, it is used for desserts.
The longer the grain, the harder it is, the more transparent it is, and when boiled it grows mainly in length. Long-grain rice, if cooked correctly, turns out to be crumbly and light, airy. It is popular in India and neighboring countries: it is convenient to mix it with gravy and eat it with your hands.
Please note: good recipes tell you which type or at least type of rice to use – long, medium or round. In the first, the length is 4-5 times the width, in medium-grain rice – 2 times, and round – it is indeed almost round, well, at worst, oval. It is often indicated which – glutinous or non-glutinous – rice is needed.
Away from doubt
When in doubt, great for side dishes steamed rice – it does not stick together. But for traditional recipes like pilaf, you should not take it: it is cooked in a completely different way and has a different consistency. By the way, it is noticeably more useful than the usual one. polished Fig.
If you are diabetic, choose “basmati” or brown rice – they have a lower glycemic index.
Quality standards
Where rice is the basis of the diet, it is bought in bulk, often in bags, and the buyer can always check the quality of the rice. They also look at its appearance, and at the powder, and at whether the rice crunches in handfuls, etc. After that, they make a conclusion – to buy or not. We usually do not have such an opportunity, which is what local producers use, often selling packaged rice of very dubious quality.
Of course, for rice porridge, the usual Krasnodar, there is no need to break your head. But when buying expensive rice, you should pay attention to some things in order not to pay the “extra” price for the 4th grade.
If in a bag half of the grains are cloudy and half are transparent, then this is bad rice.… The rice should be nice and the same. Almost clear, like most common varieties, or completely opaque, like Thai sticky, or clear with a matte center, like Italian risotto varieties. But the main thing is the same. Otherwise, it is either a mixture of grains from different batches, or simply poor-quality rice – say, poorly dried. And nothing good will come of it. Rice from different batches will absorb different amounts of water or oil and cook unevenly (generally speaking, mixing different varieties of rice at home is almost guaranteed to give a negative result).
If rice often contains grains in which the turbid areas have clear boundaries, it’s even worse: this is broken rice, when soaked or cooked, it will fall apart, turning into porridge.
Buying on occasion by weight rice, especially Uzbek, should be tasted on the tooth – it should not crack easily. Rub the grains between your palms to remove powder from it and see it as it really is.