The history of National Rice Month dates back to 1991 when President George H.W. Bush signed the official proclamation designating September as National Rice Month. The president and the USA Rice Federation recognized this special holiday to encourage the use of the small but mighty grain in our daily dining. In the U.S., cities celebrate National Rice Month differently. For example, Bolivar County officials in Mississippi celebrate the occasion with an annual rice tasting luncheon held in September.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, nearly 500 million metric tons of rice are harvested globally each year.
Rice has a special place for many Asian countries and people as it’s one of the most common foods in Asian cuisine.
Different types of Asian Rice
Korean rice -Korean hyunmi refers to Korean short grain brown rice. Unlike white rice, brown rice has the bran and germ still attached. Brown rice tends to have a higher nutritional value than white rice, with many vitamins and fiber. It takes longer to cook and longer to digest. Many Koreans combine white rice and brown rice together to bring better texture and taste.
(Korean hyunmi )
Indian rice- Indian basmati is also long-grain rice, meaning that the grains are long and skinny. When cooked, basmati rice is less sticky than jasmine, with grains that tend to remain on the firm side. Basmati rice also doesn’t stick together as Jasmine rice does, which makes it a great choice for rice pilaf, salads, and Indian rice side dishes that often include safron, lemon or turmeric.
(Indian basmati)
Japanese or Sushi Rice- Sushi rice is steamed Japanese rice that is flavored with vinegar-based seasonings and it’s only used for making sushi. In Japan, it is known as sumeshi (vinegared rice). Sushi rice is usually short grain rice, which has plump grains and a high proportion of amylopectin, a type of sticky starch that’s responsible for the trademark creamy texture of risotto. (Japanese Sushi Rice)
Written by Lina Zhu