Rice is one of the most consumed grains in the world. It comes from a plant whose scientific name is Oryza sativa, a grass family, and the edible fruit of this plant is called rice. There are numerous varieties of rice , and their use varies according to the recipes to be prepared and how they are cooked. Bored of rice? Well, there are different ways to eat it and today we will talk to you about the 4 main ways in which it is used in gastronomy.
Different ways to eat rice
rice starch
The starch present in seeds and vegetables is called starch . Rice contains it in quantities necessary for the preparation of different recipes in the kitchen, it is the most used nutrient and provides our body with three quarters of the calories consumed. The presentation of rice starch in the trade is normally as a very fine white powder.
Cold starch is insoluble and raw is not digested by our body, so the only way to consume it is cooked. Its use in culinary art is predominantly in batters due to its ability to repel fats, avoiding the saturation of oils in foods, it is the ingredient that generates that crunchy effect in foods.
Rice flour
Rice flour is obtained by finely grinding the cereal, which can be made from white rice or brown rice. It is used to prepare various recipes, especially those where gluten consumption is limited for reasons such as intolerance. Therefore, this flour becomes a substitute for wheat flour when making bread, making sweets and noodles for people with celiac disease. In cooking in general, it is used as a thickener in soups, doughs and sauces.
rice flakes
Rice flakes are a processed product, with ecological characteristics. Its appearance is fragile, white in color and small in size, which through a pressing technique acquires the shape of a flake, facilitating its preparation methods, reducing the cooking times of this product.
Rice flakes are easily digestible in the human body , which makes it the favorite food in athletes' breakfasts. You can find it in muesli, for example. Likewise, rice flakes are included in the first solid foods that are given to infants over 6 months old as porridge.
rice semolina
It is a product that results from the grinding of the rice grain, although unlike the previous ones it is lightly ground , so that the grain can be observed with the naked eye and it is palpable both in touch and in taste. It is used in the preparation of purees, creams and porridges for infants and is easily digestible. In gastronomy, it is used as a main ingredient in the preparation of fish soup with rice semolina, and in the preparation of sweet recipes, such as chocolate cake and rice semolina.
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