Now’s the time to think about rice from the USA
America has long been a rice exporter to the UK
and around 60,000 tonnes are currently imported into this country every year.
U.S. long grain rice is one of the world’s top quality rice’s. It’s available in different varieties such as regular white and regular brown, as well as easy-cook varieties and can be purchased in a range of pack sizes.
Sold and eaten worldwide, American long grain rice is also a healthy option for today’s consumers, as it is virtually fat and cholesterol-free and contains complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates provide a slower and more sustained release of energy than simple carbohydrates.
The following are the most popular U.S. long grain rice varieties: –
Regular American long grain white rice.
This has a subtle flavour that perfectly complements both rich and delicate sauces. The harvested rice is milled to remove the husk and bran layer and, on cooking, the grains separate to give an attractive fluffy appearance.
Regular American brown long grain rice (whole grain rice).
Enjoyed for its distinctly nutty flavour, brown rice undergoes only minimal milling. This removes the husk but retains the bran layer.
American Easy-cook long grain white rice.
The ideal choice for beginners. It is steamed under pressure while still in an un-milled state, and only then milled. The process
gelatinises the grain’s starch (reducing the possibility of over-cooking) and produces an extra fluffy cooked grain.
American Easy-cook brown long grain rice.
As with white rice, brown rice is also available in easy-cook form
and is faster cooking than regular brown rice. The process also helps the grain retain its shape when cooked.
There are many other advantages to American Rice, not least the growing and harvesting techniques applied in the USA today:
Modern and efficient production (e.g. sowing by airplane, laser-levelled land, state of the art combine harvesters that preserve the quality of the grain)
- Hygienic processing. Stringent quality controls are mandatory. Only the purest water is used for parboiling. The rice is so clean it can be used straight from the pack without rinsing.
- Consistent growing conditions allow for a uniform ripening of the rice grains, which optimises yield and produces a high quality product.
As well as long grain, other varieties such as medium grain and Wild Rice are also grown in the USA.
Tim Bates, USA Rice Federation spokesman in the UK said, “There has been an increased amount of interest this year in U.S long grain rice and we’re very pleased that more wholesalers and retailers are enquiring about availability for 2012”.
American rice is available through a number of wholesalers and importers. To find out more information about suppliers, contact The USA Rice Federation on 01753 851910, or email: customer@usarice.com
www.usarice.eu
For further details or a hi-res version of the photograph call Tim
Bates on 01753 851 910 or email tim@comeintothegarden.co.uk
