Rice and Rice Products – Making a Journey from the Fields to Your Kitchen

by Raj Arora Digital Marketing Professional

People across many countries live exclusively on rice and are brimming with energy that is commonly scarce among people consuming other food products. It can be grown on a type of land that has supply of plenty of water. It is the primary produce in many countries in Asia and Africa. In a study conducted by DOE/Pacific Northwest national Laboratory (http://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=4214) it is found that rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population.

It is rich in starch and works as a powerhouse for energy production in its consumers. Rice is cultivated in about 11 % of the world’s arable land, spanning across 150 million hectares of areas around the world!

Health benefits:

Rice is gluten –free and non-allergic.

It is rich in carbohydrates with 80 grams per 100 grams. It is low in fat and cholesterol free. The nutritional value of the grain depends on the variety of rice. The coloured rice trains have anti-oxidant properties useful for human health though white rice has no anti-oxidants.

What makes rice so popular?

Rice in Indian culture and history is associated with wealth, fertility and good health. It is used at times of prayers and in weddings. There are many ways rice and rice products are consumed in our daily lives. Rice can be used raw or can be processed into many items.

Rice has its fan across different parts of the world. It is grounded into flour and used in preparation of many beverages - including amazake (a non alcoholic drink popular in Japan), as horchata (a sweet rice drink of Mexican origin), as sake (a type of wine popular in Japan and China) or as rice milk (a cooling drink that’s popular in Thailand and the US - made from brown rice) – there is a host of other items like cake, dumplings, vinegar, noodles etc in which rice finds its use. Following is an elaboration towards the use of rice – in addition its consumption in whole:

1. Rice noodles: Rice flour is mixed with wet millets and can be consumed with a side dish or in soups.

2. Edible rice paper: made from wet-milled high amylase rice batter and is taken as edible candy wrappers.

3. Cakes and dumplings: These sweet and tasty rice-flour based cakes are consumed as snacks in many Asian countries.

4. Liquid form: Rice bran oil is made from the oil extracted from rice bran and rice germ. It is a good source of vitamin E, anti-oxidants etc. It is mainly used in cooking, deep frying and salad-dressings.

5. Rice vinegar: it is mainly used in China and Japan and has about 4 to 5 % acidity.

6. Rice syrup: It is made from brown rice and enzymes broken into starch and the syrup can be used as a sweetener.

7. Convenience food:

a. Puffed rice: Popularly called ‘Murmurey’ in India, it is made by heating rice grains under hot temperatures. Rice crispies make a good cereal breakfast while puffed rice cakes is a common snack in India.

b. Rice Crackers: Made in most of the Asian countries with fermented rice products.

c. Canned rice products: Types of instant rice meals or side dishes or quick cooking rice are common in Asian countries and are available in packed form.

In addition to the above, rice used as starch is much popular across different parts of Asia for their excellent thickening properties.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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