Have you even wondered why Asian countries have eaten white rice for thousands of years, not brown? Because brown rice is full of phytates and lectins, which bind to vitamins and minerals and prevent them from being absorbed. Phytates are anti-nutrients found in grains and legumes.
While most rice eaten in Asia today is polished into white rice, colored rices (including brown, red, and black) have a long tradition throughout the Asian continent.
Brown Rice (Gen-Mai, 玄米)
However, brown rice requires much more chewing, so most Japanese tend not to eat it daily. Brown rice has somewhat of a convenience factor because you don't have to wash it before steaming. However, it will expire much quicker than white rice because the oil bran layer can rot.
Brown rice, once the most common rice choice, is still widely available in Japan but not as commonly eaten. The third type of rice commonly eaten today is called mochigome, also known as glutinous or sticky rice.
Brown rice has a higher nutritional value than white rice, with many vitamins and fiber. It takes longer to cook and longer to digest, and it takes some time to get used to the taste. Many Koreans combine white rice and brown rice together to bring better texture and taste.
We enjoy it not only for health reasons, but also the chewy texture, which is what I personally enjoy most about Fried Brown Rice. These days, most Chinese restaurants offer brown rice as an alternative to the usual white rice.
Major countries consuming brown rice are Indonesia, Philippines, Iran, Nigeria and few European countries. Latin American countries are expected to exploit the availability of land and water emerge as the major producer and exporter of rice, during the forecast period.
Brown rice is a whole grain that still has the hull, the bran layer and the germ still intact, allowing it to have high levels of fiber. White rice, on the other hand, does not have any of the aforementioned, which makes it less nutrient-dense.
“Cooking brown rice in large amounts of excess water reduces the toxic arsenic by almost 60% and only reduces the iron content by 5%. It reduces the vitamin content of brown rice by about half,” however.
Brown rice of course is heavily consumed in American cuisine, but consumption strongly over indexes for Middle Eastern, Indian, Spanish, and global fusion cuisines followed by Mexican and Chinese.
Koreans eat short or medium grain rice as the main staple and we call it Bap 밥. A Korean white rice is called Baekmi Bap 백미밥. Due to high starch content, Koreans try to eat more multi-grain rice or rice with beans added rather than pure white rice.
Chinese restaurants use brown rice because of its nutritional value and hearty flavor. Brown rice pairs well with vegetables, meats, and sauces, making it a versatile ingredient in many Chinese dishes. Brown rice has a high nutritional value and is a healthy food choice.
In fact, only a small group of Thai people consume brown rice daily or occasionally, with the majority of the population still preferring white rice.
Old-school nutrition
The Philippine government is also promoting the consumption of brown rice. Not a specific variety, brown rice refers to any kind of rice that still has its outer layer of bran and the germ— where most of the nutrients (such as niacin, thiamine, and phosphorus) are found.
Jasmine Rice From Thailand
Arguably the most common rice variety across Asia, the medium-grain rice stands out for its distinctive floral fragrance, which alludes to its sweet-smelling jasmine flower.
Although sometimes harder to find, black rice is the number one nutritional rock star among rice varieties. 1 It's high in fiber and nutrients that lower cholesterol, promote healthy digestion, and stave off chronic disease.
Brown Rice. Jasmine rice is a white refined rice while brown rice is an unrefined grain. This means that brown rice has the bran and germ still intact while jasmine rice has the bran and germ removed. Because of this fact, brown rice is higher in fiber and nutrients than jasmine rice.
In Africa, the original wild grass was cultivated as early as 3,500 years ago and, as did brown rice, it played a significant role in the history of west Africa up to 1400.
Yes, white rice is a staple food in Korean cuisine, and it is commonly consumed in Korea. Rice plays a significant role in Korean meals and is often served as a side dish or as the base for various Korean dishes.
surely that's healthy,” you're in for a surprise: Inorganic arsenic is found in the outer husk of rice grains, which stays intact on brown rice, meaning there's more arsenic in brown rice than in white rice. And soil on organic farms can have remnants of arsenic from historical pesticide use.
The culturally diverse region eats a variety of rice – Basmati rice, Jasmine rice, multigrain rice or Japonica rice and more – and cooks it in different ways. According to Statista, the average person in Asia consumes 60.4kg of rice a year, almost double the world average consumption of 38.4kg of rice per person.
What is forbidden rice? Forbidden black rice refers to a type of heirloom rice that has been part of the Asian diet for thousands of years. It belongs to the species Oryza sativa, whose other varieties include Indonesian black rice and Thai jasmine black rice. Black rice may be long-grain, medium or short-grain.
The most widely consumed rice in Japan is a cultivar of Japonica rice, a short-grain rice with a firm texture. Compared to its long-grain counterparts such as jasmine and basmati, Japonica rice is characterized by its plump shape and sticky texture that makes it easy to pick up with chopsticks.