Poem about rice

What do we know about rice? In Russia, rice is so recent (only a little over 200 years) that it did not even have time to "overgrow" ritual traditions. And in the East, rice is still, like 7 thousand years ago (!), Is considered a sacred grain - a symbol of life itself. Rice not only saved from hunger, but was a ritual food, currency for paying taxes and salaries.

Even today, grateful Japanese express their gratitude to rice: the Toyota car is named after the "fertile rice field", and "Honda" means "the main rice field".

White milled rice - the most popular in the whole world. Snow-white, with transparent grains, it cooks quickly, has a long shelf life and goes well with almost any dish. However, it contains less vitamins than the rest. types of rice , because he went through all the stages of grinding. The husk, rich in silicon, and the bran casing containing B vitamins and minerals have been removed from it.

Brown rice it is not so soft, but it does not boil down, and there are more vitamins in it: the hard husk has been removed, but the cut shell remains. It is because of her that the rice has a light brown tint and a nutty flavor. But it is not stored for so long and is more expensive.

If you see a bag with amber-yellow translucent grains in the store, you should know that you are holding parboiled rice... Before grinding, it is soaked, then treated with steam under pressure. Thanks to this technology, up to 80% of nutrients are stored in it. When boiled, the yellow tint disappears, the grains do not stick together and remain the same crumbly after heating.

Rice can be long-grain, medium-grain and round-grain. Long-grain ("indica") is good for salads and side dishes for meat and fish dishes. It does not stick together during cooking and absorbs some liquid. Long grain can be white or brown rice. Medium grain suitable as an addition to soups, paella and risotto. When cooking, it "drinks" a lot and becomes soft, absorbs the aroma of other ingredients in the dish, and sticks together a little in the finished visa. "Basmati", "Jasmine", "Arborio" ... - these names of rice varieties fascinate with their euphony. What is behind them? "Basmati" - rice grown on the sacred land, at the foot of the Himalayas, where the very air and soil worked to create the unique taste and special aroma of this variety ("Basmati" in Hindi means "fragrant"),

But it acquires a special "sound" in pilaf ... Its grains are longer and thinner than regular long-grain rice, and when cooked they lengthen even more. "Arborio" was born in Italy and bears the name of the city of the province of Vercelli. If you look at the light, you can see an opaque core in a wide translucent grain - it takes longer to cook. However, experts recommend removing the rice from the heat until it is fully cooked - it will "come" by itself. The creamy mass is suitable for risottos and soups. Wild rice only grows in freedom. The North American Indians called it the "precious tree". Its grains are long, dark brown or black, and very tough. therefore black rice you must first soak, and then cook for a long time. If you decide to take the risk (and it's worth the risk - it contains a huge amount of vitamins and fiber), you should know that it is perfect for salads, and for snacks, and for fillings and even desserts.

Photo by celfh

There are strict rules for the preparation of rice. In the East, for example, cook rice in its pure form without salt, oil and spices. But first it is washed. This improves the taste of the rice, although not always: it is better not to wash rice for risotto (Arborio variety). It is important to observe the proportions: 1.25 cups of oxen per cup of rice is the optimal ratio. And the last thing: the rice must be soaked.It will become whiter and cook faster, as it absorbs liquid even before cooking. Rice is soaked for 30-60 minutes, pouring double the amount of water. Then boil: bring to a boil over medium heat, increase the heat for 1 minute and again reduce to medium, boil for 4-5 minutes. Cook for the last 10 minutes over very low heat so that each grain absorbs water. The main thing is not to open the lid! In Japan, there is even an old rhyme that the lid will not be removed until the rice is ready, even if the child is crying hysterically from hunger.

The traditional way. Put the rice in a large saucepan, cover with boiling water or broth (1: 5), season with salt and pepper. Then bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook rice about 10-15 minutes (brown - 20 minutes) uncovered. Then put the rice in a colander, let the water drain and rinse under running hot water. Put the rice back in the pot (or in the colander above it), cover with a towel and let it sweat a little. This method is suitable for almost all varieties, especially brown. You shouldn't cook only the jasmine variety like that.

Way "under the lid" the most popular. Boil rice over low heat until it absorbs all the liquid (white 10-15 minutes, and brown will take at least 20 minutes). "For a couple" - first cook the rice under the lid method, add seasonings. Then discard in a colander and place in a saucepan with a little boiling water. Cover and leave for 10-15 minutes. This is a good way to cook long-grain basmati and jasmine rice.

In the oven, you can combine methods: first, cook the rice, and in the oven, bring it to readiness. The main thing. so that the rice has absorbed the liquid before "moving" to the oven preheated to 180 ° C. White and brown long-grain rice and aromatic "basmati" are suitable for this method - it turns out loose rice and moderately dryish. In a microwave oven, rice is cooked in a fireproof dish with water under a lid or heat-resistant film. It will take 20 minutes to cook: 5 minutes at 100% power and another 15 minutes at 50%. Remember, brown rice should sit an additional 5-7 minutes in the oven.

"Fast" way good when you need to serve rice to the table at the last moment, without much effort. Rice is cooked for only 3-4 minutes, but you need to prepare in advance: put the washed rice in a deep plate and cover with plenty of water, close the lid and ... forget about it for an hour. At the last moment, boil the broth or water and pour the prepared rice into it - after 3-4 minutes the dish is ready.

Rice in bags is gaining more and more popularity. One packet of rice (125 g) is for two servings. Rice is very tasty and cooks quickly, does not burn, does not stick to the bottom of the pan and does not stick together.

Rice vodka has recently become popular in Russia - sake... It is made from special rice, sakamai, and the process is similar to brewing beer: rice is polished, washed, soaked and allowed to ferment. The alcohol content in rice vodka usually does not exceed 18 C, and the taste and aroma are very diverse: aromatic sake (with a fruity or floral scent), light (with a fresh taste and a small alcohol content), sake with a rich spice flavor, "mirin" - sweet sake, etc. For lovers, it is specially prepared hot shochu Is the Japanese version of moonshine. But not all sake should be drunk warm, as we used to think - this changes the taste and smell of the drink. For example, light and aromatic sake is best drunk chilled. Do not keep a bottle of sake open - the drink will lose its bouquet from contact with air. And for a snack, seafood and meat are suitable: sake enhances their taste, while softening the smell. A special type of beer is also made from rice - bakushu.

Askarov Petr Semyonovich