ing overall efficiency and using less water.
This rice cultivation method allows farmers to
dramatically increase yields with less seed, less
water, less chemicals, and less waste. The SRI
International Network and Resources Center
is managed by Cornell University College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences. Lotus Foods is
committed to SRI; six of their rices are grown
using these techniques. Lotus Foods labels them
“More Crops Per Drop” to highlight this.
Understanding Rice Anatomy
The Hull – Each grain of rice is enclosed in
a tough outer hull, or husk, which must be
removed before the grain can be consumed.
The Bran – Under the hull is the bran layer,
which is brown, tan, golden, black, purple, or
red depending on the pigmentation of the rice.
The bran layer makes the rice more nutritious
but also more difficult to digest and requires
longer cooking.
The Rice – Once the bran is removed, the
white rice remains. Known as the endosperm,
this is the part of the rice that is most com-
monly consumed and the most easily digested.
The Germ – The germ, found under the
bran, is responsible for the grain’s germination
and contains the majority of rice’s nutrients—
including protein, minerals, and vitamins.
The Many Uses of Rice
Rice is a staple food used by 60% of the
world’s population.
Rice starch is used in making ice cream,
custard powder, and puddings.
Rice bran is used in confectionery products,
cattle feed, organic fertilizer, and composting.
Bran oil is used as edible oil, as well as in
soaps, cosmetics, emulsifiers, and detergents.
Flaked rice is made from parboiled rice, flat-
tened, and used in cooking.
Puffed rice is a puffed form of the seed (the
paddy) used in cooking.
Parched rice is made from parboiled rice,
steamed and more easily digested.
Rice husks are used as fuel, and in paper
manufacturing and building materials.
Broken rice is used to make rice flour,
noodles, rice cakes, and poultry feed.
Rice straw is used as animal feed, fuel,
bedding for mushroom production, and
composting.
Types of Rice
Rice is officially known by its botanical and/or
Latin name and then categorized and further
broken down by its size, country of origin
and ethnicity, color, aroma, type or specialty,
consistency, or any special processing it has
gone through.
Rice categorized by processing methods:
Parboiled rice is not precooked, but instead,
once the hull is removed, the whole grain
(brown rice) is soaked, steamed, and dried,
which enriches its nutrients. Once the bran is re-
moved it has a more golden color with a harder
outer surface, but requires additional cooking.
Converted rice is a type of parboiled rice
that has been further pre-cooked, allowing
faster cooking times.
Enriched parboiled rice is similar to con-
verted rice, but additional nutrients are added
to enrich its bioavailability for the body.
Quick-cook rice, also called easy-cook
rice, is medium or short-grained rice that is
partially cooked after milling and then dried,
which reduces its cooking time by about half
that of ordinary long-grain rice. Quick-cook
rice loses many of its nutrients in this process
and is often fortified.Brown and White Rice: Husk or No Husk
Brown rice has its outer husk removed while
the the bran and germ layers are retained,
giving it a characteristic tan color. Although
brown rice takes a little longer to cook, its
nutrient-dense layers are rich in vitamins
and minerals.
Enriched white rice is enriched with thiamin,
niacin, foliates, and iron which replace the nu-
trients that are lost when the bran is removed.
Instant white rice has been milled and pol-
ished, then fully cooked and dehydrated, which
bring its cooking time to around few minutes.
This rice is sometimes enriched with nutrients.
Polished rice refers to white rice that has
been milled—removing its husk, bran, and
germ and then polished mechanically, resulting
in a brighter, shiny appearance.Rice Categories, Varieties, and Regions
Long, Medium, and Short Grain Rice
Rice is classified as having long, medium, or
short grains based on their ratios of length to
width when cooked. As you might imagine,
long and thin rice is defined as long grain (like
long-grain basmati), short-grain rice varieties
tend to be more plump (think sushi rice), and
medium-grain is in the middle. When we con-
sider the types that fall into the various catego-
ries, they tend to be on a bit of a continuum.
Aromatic rice contains a natural ingredient
called 2-acetyl 1-pyroline, which gives it its
characteristic nutty fragrance, aroma, and fla-
vor. Medium and long-grain aromatic varieties
include basmati, jasmine, Bhutanese red, and
wild rice.
Basmati rice is a type of aromatic rice. In
Hindi “basmati” literally means “fragrant.”
It is long and slender in size and most often
comes as white rice from India and Pakistan.
In its wholegrain form (brown) it is lighter and
quicker to cook than other brown rices.
Kalijira (baby basmati) comes from Bangladesh
and requires a shorter cooking time.
Jasmine rice is an aromatic rice that gets its
name from its white color—which is associ-
ated with the jasmine flower. It is grown pri-
marily in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Jasmine rice has a moist and soft texture,
sweet flavor, can become sticky when cooked,
and can be found in white and brown.
Black rice, also known as “Forbidden
Rice” or “Purple Rice,” gets its color from its
anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins are water-
soluble phytonutrients with dark pigments that
have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and