Jasmine rice,
sometimes known as "the Fragrant rice" is a Long
grain variety of rice that has a nutty aroma and
subtle pandan-like flavor. Originally from
Thailand, its characteristics are slim, long,
silky, smooth and shiny.
The main growing season for Jasmine rice is between
September and December.
Varieties of Jasmine rice are Kao Dok Mali, Go Kho
15, Klong Luang and Suphan and are grown primarily
in the northeastern region of Thailand.
White rice, is the name
given to milled rice that has had its husk, bran
and germ removed from the kernel. This is done
largely to prevent spoilage and to extend the
storage life of the grain. After milling, the
rice is polished, resulting in a seed with a
bright, white shiny appearance.
Thailand has many regions
that produce white rice, however, the most
fruitful area in the country, in terms of
quality, is the central region. Advanced
technologies and irrigation make this region the
prime area that produces 2-3 crops each year.
White
broken rice is also available through Famba
Holdings, Inc.
Glutinous rice, also
called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy, botan and
pearl rice, is a short-grained Asian rice that
is especially sticky when cooked.
It is white in color and
is called glutinous in the sense of being
glue-like or sticky because it consists of
high amounts of amylopectin (a component of
starch) and has little or no amylose.
Amylose is the other component of starch that is
less readily digested than amylopectin.
Glutinous rice does not contain dietary gluten
and thus should be safe for gluten-free diets.
Glutinous rice is grown primarily in Asia
including these countries: Thailand, Vietnam,
China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Laos and
Indonesia.
Glutinous
broken rice is also available through Famba
Holdings, Inc.
Parboiled Rice is rice
that has been boiled in the husk. Parboiling
improves its nutritional profile, and changes
its texture. It is yellowish in color and
produced by a process of soaking, pressure
steaming and drying the paddy before milling.
Parboiling makes rice
easier to process by hand, that is, removing the
bran layer. Parboiling rice drives nutrients,
especially thiamine, from the bran into the
grain, so that parboiled white rice is 80%
nutritionally similar to brown rice. Because of
this, parboiling was adopted by North American
rice growers in the early 20th century.
Parboiled rice takes more
time to cook, and the cooked rice is firmer and
less sticky. In North America, parboiled rice is
generally, partially or fully precooked by the
processor.
Thailand's central region can produce high
quality and non-odor Parboiled rice all year
long due to the large water supply and
consistent source of paddy.
Major markets of Parboiled rice are Nigeria,
South Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Parboiled
broken rice is also available through Famba
Holdings, Inc.
Cargo Rice is a type of
non-glutinous long grain rice. It is similar to
brown rice, in that it is unpolished rice. Only
the husks of the rice grains are removed during
the milling process, keeping all the vitamins,
minerals and nutrients intact in the bran layer
and in the germ.
Cargo rice is a good source of thiamin (vitamin
B), riboflavin (vitamin B2), fiber, iron and
calcium. The flavor of cooked cargo rice is
generally a more sweet, nutty taste and the rice
is more chewy than standard white polished rice.
It takes longer to cook than white, but not as
long as brown rice. Soaking it in water for at
least 30 minutes before cooking produces a much
softer texture.
Some rice grains break in the transport and processing of
the rice from the field to the pot. Machinery is available
to separate the broken grains from the whole grains.
Broken rice may or may not have lower fiber and nutrient
content, but generally has a similar energy content to
intact rice.
The broken varieties are often less
expensive, so are preferred by poorer
consumers or used as raw material for animal
feeding or brewing beer. Due to the
different size and shape of the grains,
broken rice has a different texture from
"unbroken" rice. Some chefs and consumers
may prefer the qualities of broken rice for
certain dishes.