Rice: The Choice of Half the World's Population - Nutritional Value of Brown Rice, White Rice, and Black Rice

61. Rice, the choice of half the world's population

Rice is sweet and neutral in nature, and has the effects of improving hearing and vision, nourishing essence and strengthening will, and invigorating the spleen and stomach. It can be called the "king of grains". Rice is the most important food crop for Chinese residents, accounting for about a quarter of the cultivated area of ​​grain crops. Rice is also the staple food of half of the world's population.

Rice consists of various parts, including the pericarp, husk, outer endosperm, seed coat, endosperm, aleurone layer, and embryo. Brown rice refers to rice with the husk removed, while retaining all other parts; refined rice, which is the rice consumed in daily life, has all the remaining parts removed. Since most of the nutrients in rice besides carbohydrates (such as fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber) are concentrated in the seed coat, pericarp, aleurone layer, outer endosperm, and embryo (commonly known as the sugar layer), refined rice is nutritionally inferior to brown rice. As people's understanding of nutrition grows, they increasingly recognize the importance of brown rice and see it as a nemesis of "diseases of civilization," leading to a surge in the popularity of brown rice consumption.

Types of rice

Brown rice: Rice with the husk removed, retaining about 80% of its nutritional value. It has a higher nutritional value than white rice and germ rice, but it also requires a longer cooking and soaking time.

Germinated rice: Brown rice that retains the germ and endosperm after processing, while removing the bran layer, retaining about 75% of the product ratio. It is an intermediate product between white rice and brown rice.

White rice: Brown rice is processed while retaining the endosperm and removing the germ and bran layers, retaining about 70% of the product. This is the most common type of rice.

Instant rice: Rice that has been processed and can be eaten after a short time of boiling or soaking in boiling water.

Precooked rice (modified rice): A type of rice that has been processed by drying, steaming, soaking, etc.

Fortified rice: Rice fortified with one or more nutrients.

No-rinse rice: This reduces the need for rinsing rice when cooking.

Organic rice: Rice grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides, using organic management methods (such as applying organic fertilizers through soaking juices or natural extracts, and controlling pests and diseases), is processed into rice.

Which type of rice is the most nutritious?

Brown rice best preserves the nutritional value of rice. Colored rice is actually a type of brown rice. The color of rice often comes from the bran; if the bran is removed, colored rice becomes regular rice. Brown rice is rice that has its husk intact, retaining the bran and germ while removing the outer husk during milling. The refined rice we commonly eat refers to rice that retains the endosperm while removing the rest. Although brown rice is highly nutritious, its taste is not as good.

The darker the color of rice, the higher its nutritional value. Currently, rice is available in purple, white, green, and black colors. There's a general rule among foods: the darker the color, the higher its nutritional value. Rice also follows this rule. Compared to refined white rice, black rice contains four times more vitamins and is also rich in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron. Therefore, black rice has the highest nutritional value, while white rice has the lowest.

Refined rice and pre-washed rice may lose nutrients. This type of rice has clean grains without any impurities and can be cooked directly. However, some pre-washed rice undergoes multiple processes such as water milling and polishing, which wash away many nutrients. Some pre-washed rice is simply rice that has been blown away to remove dust and sand, so its nutritional value is not reduced.

Rice therapy

(1) Ginger and Jujube Porridge: Place rice in a pot and stir-fry briefly. Then add a small amount of water and stir the rice evenly with a spoon. Add ginger slices and jujubes and simmer over low heat until the porridge is cooked. Add a small amount of salt. It should be noted that this porridge has a strong warming effect, so people with hemorrhoids or severe eye congestion should avoid eating it.

(2) Ginger and Perilla Leaf Porridge: Add 3 slices of ginger and 10 grams of perilla leaves to the cooked white porridge, then serve. Ginger is the best "weapon" for treating symptoms such as cough, sneezing, and fever, and it is also the most commonly used Chinese medicine. It has the effects of dispelling cold, eliminating phlegm, relieving asthma, removing acne, and replenishing qi. Perilla leaves have an excellent effect of dispelling cold and are easy to buy.

(3) Fangfeng Porridge: 2 scallions, 15 grams of Fangfeng (available at pharmacies), 50 grams of rice, and 3 slices of ginger. First, cook the rice until it is almost done. Then add the ginger, scallions, and Fangfeng. You can add a suitable amount of salt. This porridge can dispel cold and relieve pain, clear heat and dispel wind. It is suitable for symptoms such as joint pain, chills and fever, borborygmus and diarrhea, and nasal congestion caused by wind-cold.

(4) Almond Porridge: 50 grams of rice, about 20 almonds (peeled). To prepare, first cook the porridge, then add the almonds when it is almost cooked and continue cooking until done. Then add a small amount of salt or sugar. This porridge can relieve phlegm, moisten dryness, stop coughing, and calm asthma.

Fragrant rice always has a delicate aroma, and the cooked rice is fragrant, such as Wuchang "Daohuaxiang" rice from China and Thai fragrant rice. Because of its demanding cultivation requirements, fragrant rice has a limited yield and is expensive. In reality, fragrant rice doesn't have much nutritional value.