How to cook rice

A type of rice for every dish

There are over 40,000 types of rice in the world.This cereal is characterized by its high energy content, its ability to fortify the immune system and aid digestion, as well as being low in fat, and containing carbohydrates and vegetable proteins.

For these reasons, it’s no coincidence that rice forms part of typical dishes in many countries. We can find examples in our own dishes, such as paella, arroz al horno or arroz con costra, and those of other countries, such as Italian risotto and Japanese sushi.

Regardless of the type of rice, all of them have their origin in the seed of the same plant- Oryza Sativa. However not all rices have the same uses in the kitchen. Different varieties need different amounts of cooking depending on their starch content, shape and how you want to cook it.

Salads and Garnishes with rice

The most commonly used varieties to accompany main dishes or salads are steamed, long-grain and basmati rice. The first, as its name suggests, has been given a steam treatment that gives it its characteristic gold tone. It’s rich in fiber, minerals, always stays loose and never goes soggy. (18-20 minutes cooking).

For its part, long-grain rice, as its main characteristi doesn’t stick during cooking and always stays looses due to its low starch content. In South America it’s often used as a garnish. (17 minutes cooking).

Basmati rice, originally from India and Pakistan, is a long-grain variety characterised by its fragrane and flavour. (10 minutes cooking).

Paellas, brothy rices, dry and baked rices....

For this type of dish bomba rice is the most renowned and highest quality among all round-grain rices. Its grain absorbs the most broth of all existing varieties making it the tastiest. It’s the preferred variety among the most demanding cooks becuse it retains the broth’s flavours and, if overcooked, doesn’t break apart but only swells up and wrinkles a little(‘abomba’ meaning to swell or puff up, giving it it´s name). This peculiarity lets it retain the starch, meaning it comes out loose and without beoming stodgy. (16 minutes cooking).

White round-grain rice is also commonly used, in fact, it’s the most consumed variety in Spain. It absorbs the flavor of the accompanying ingredients and cooks evenly. There are many varieties of round-grain rice, the most common, above all in Valencia, are the Senia types: J Sendra, Gleva and Montsianell. (15 minutes cooking).

A brown rice version also exists. This type of rice has not been completely processed and so keeps the surrounding bran and is richer in fiber and other nutrients. It has a dark appearance than other rices and needs longer to cook than white rice. It can be both round-grain and long-grain and used for the same purposed as its refined version. (20 minutes cooking).