Secrets of Rice

Rice began its long journey to our plates from East Asia, where it remains the most basic food in the diet (more than half of the world's population consumes rice daily).

About 2,500 years ago, the Persians brought it to the other side of Asia, from where it was taken to Spain, later reaching Italy and France by the end of the 13th century. After World War II, Americans also began cultivating rice.

Its evolution around the world shows there are many types of rice unique to each region, and various methods have developed worldwide for its preparation. The first significant difference between types is between whole grain rice and white - polished rice. Whole grain rice contains all the nutrients the grain can offer: carbohydrates (starch), proteins (it has all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein), dietary fibers, )B vitamins (B1,2,3, calcium, a bit of iron, magnesium, potassium, and more.

White rice once was considered food for the rich, similar to white flour and sugar. However, during the polishing process, the husk (dietary fibers and minerals) and the germ (vitamins and minerals) are removed, leaving only the starch. In this state, rice is not very nutritious, providing only empty carbohydrates, and even "robbing" the body of vitamin B1 stores, which are essential for carbohydrate digestion. This depletion of the body of the vitamin (which is not really stored in the body but is used by the nervous system and brain) led to the discovery of beriberi disease, following which vitamins, their roles, and importance in our diet were discovered (it is still possible to develop beriberi if one's diet is based on polished and processed foods lacking in vitamins).Among the types of rice, you can find Basmati, Thai, Jasmine, Persian, risotto, Japonica, Arborio, wild rice (which is not really rice but a seed from a plant growing in large American lakes and was used by Native Americans), and many other types.

Beyond the classic cooked, baked, or fried rice, it can also be turned into flour (used for making pastries, cookies, etc.), cakes (made by expanding the grains and compressing them into a kind of round cake), *shalva* (made from puffed rice), rice milk, desserts and cheese substitutes based on it, rice porridge (especially good for infants, children, and the elderly), and many other foods.For preparing whole grain rice, it is good to soak it in water for 24 hours, overnight, or even for a few hours. If possible, it is good to soak it in the sun. Cooking ratios vary between 2 and 1.25 cups of water per cup of rice, depending on the type.

It can be cooked without flavors, as a base dish for a stew, curry, soup, etc. It can simply be added during the cooking of soup or thick stew, and can also be turned into a special dish by adding spices, vegetables, greens, and nuts and seeds.

Combining different colorful types of rice in one dish (e.g., whole grain Basmati, Arborio, and wild rice) provides a special appearance to the meal and also adds flavor.

Vered Lev is a naturopath (N.D) and lecturer on nutrition topics