Interesting facts about rice. Rice - interesting facts
Growing rice
There are more than ten varieties of rice. They vary in texture, taste and nutritional value. Brown and wild rice are considered healthier because these varieties contain more nutrients and dietary fiber. White rice can cause high blood sugar levels. The presence of rice in the daily human diet has its advantages and disadvantages. It is important to consider them because with the growing popularity of oriental cuisine, rice is becoming an increasingly common food item. Unlike buckwheat grains, rice can hardly be called a product that would be recommended for those people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Short grain brown rice
SFGATE has a lot of interesting information about the three main varieties of rice. Brown rice is distinguished by the fact that it retains the bran and sprouts of the grain. White rice is polished during processing and loses these elements.
White rice
Long grain white rice
White rice comes in short grain (“round”) and long grain (“long”) varieties. Short grain rice is very starchy and becomes soft and sticky when cooked, making it excellent for sushi. Short grain rice is also used to make paella and risotto.
Long grain rice (the famous varieties “jasmine” and “basmati”) contains less starch, so the boiled grains are drier and do not stick together. White rice is a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, iron, folic acid, niacin, and thiamine. It doesn't have much dietary fiber, and its fat content contains predominantly Omega-6 fatty acids, which are thought to contribute to disease.
Brown rice
Long grain brown rice
Brown rice also comes in short and long grain varieties. It takes about twice as long to cook as white rice because brown rice has less starch. Brown rice is a whole grain and therefore contains about 4 times more dietary fiber than the white variety. Fiber reduces the rate at which carbohydrates are converted to glucose, helping stabilize blood sugar levels. It has more minerals, especially magnesium, than white rice.
Wild rice
Wild rice
Wild rice is even more nutritious than brown rice. It contains more protein and vitamin A, as well as folic acid. Wild rice contains less starch, which means its glycemic index is lower. It contains more Omega-3 fatty acids, which allows it to inhibit disease processes. However, wild rice (compared to brown rice) contains fewer minerals.
Brown rice is preferable, but you shouldn’t get carried away with it either.
Although brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice, no variety of rice can be considered a low-glycemic food. If you have diabetes, you should not eat a diet that contains a lot of rice. Short grain white rice in particular should be avoided. Brown basmati rice has a lower glycemic index and contains more vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is often chosen by connoisseurs of a healthy lifestyle. For arthritis, wild rice is the only variety that will not exacerbate the disease. Any rice is a carbohydrate food that cannot be the basis of a healthy diet.
Brown Basmati Rice
The nutritional value of long grain brown rice has been reviewed in detail by NutritionData. Nutrient content is based on 100 grams of cooked long grain brown rice. The percentage of daily intake is given in parentheses.
Wild rice and Himalayan red rice
Energy value:
total - 111 kilocalories (6%);
from carbohydrates - 94.7 kilocalories;
from fats - 7.5 kilocalories;
from proteins - 8.8 kilocalories;
Carbohydrates:
in general - 23.0 grams (8%);
dietary fiber - 1.8 grams (7%);
sugar - 0.4 grams;
Fats and fatty acids:
total fat - 0.9 grams (1%);
saturated fat - 0.2 grams (1%);
monounsaturated fat - 0.3 grams;
polyunsaturated fats - 0.3 grams;
Omega-3 fatty acids - 14.0 milligrams;
Omega-6 fatty acids - 309 milligrams;
Proteins and amino acids:
protein - 2.6 grams (5%);
Vitamins:
vitamin K - 0.6 micrograms (1%);
thiamine - 0.1 milligrams (6%);
nicotinic acid - 1.5 milligrams (8%);
vitamin B6 - 0.1 milligrams (7%);
folate - 4.0 micrograms (1%);
pantothenic acid - 0.3 milligrams (3%);
choline (vitamin B4) - 9.2 milligrams;
betaine - 0.5 milligrams;
Minerals:
calcium - 10.0 milligrams (1%);
iron - 0.4 milligrams (2%);
magnesium - 43.0 milligrams (11%);
phosphorus - 83.0 milligrams (8%);
potassium - 43.0 milligrams (1%);
sodium - 5.0 milligrams;
zinc - 0.6 milligrams (4%);
copper - 0.1 milligrams (5%);
manganese - 0.9 milligrams (45%);
selenium - 9.8 micrograms (14%);
Sterols:
cholesterol - 0 milligrams (0%);
Other:
alcohol - 0.0 grams;
water - 73.1 grams;
ash - 0.5 grams;
caffeine - 0 milligrams.
Purchase and storage
Rice must be chosen based on what dishes will be prepared from it. The most popular: “long rice”, its grains do not stick together when cooked. “Medium grains” and “short grains” are sticky, they are good for pureed soups and thin porridges.
The freshness of rice can be determined by the absence of the smell of mold and dampness.
Rice should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container in a dry place.
Useful properties and applications
Rice is one of the most effective cleansers for the intestines, stomach, genitourinary area, joints - rice absorbs poisons, cholesterol, fatty acids, salt deposits, biopathogenic microflora from the tissues and organs of the body, as a result of which it is the most wonderful means for cleansing the body. Improves complexion, has a calming effect, improves sleep, eliminates bad breath, and restores appetite well after a serious illness or prolonged fasting. Quickly restores strength after a serious illness. Quenches thirst, useful for kidney and bladder diseases. Enhances lactation in nursing mothers.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
Even in very advanced cases, the rice diet helps. It lasts 42 days, but is not at all burdensome and very useful. This is how it is done.
Number six half-liter jars and put 2 tbsp in each. spoons of well-cleaned and sorted rice. Pour water over the rice, cover the jars with gauze (from dust).
After a day, drain the water in jar No. 1. Transfer the rice to a saucepan and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes. Eat rice. After such a breakfast, do not eat or drink for 4 hours - just until lunch. In jar No. 1 again put 2 tbsp. spoons of washed rice, add water and place behind jar No. 6. Change the water in the remaining jars and do this daily.
On the second day, do the same procedure with jar No. 2, which will take place behind jar No. 1. And so on - exactly 6 weeks.
The diet is effective, and it will not only help you get rid of “extra” salts, but also lose excess weight. A rice diet can cause complications in the kidneys, so it must be combined with a decoction or infusion of lingonberry leaves.
Treatment of the gastrointestinal tract
When treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, pour one cup of rice into seven cups of water and boil. Take a decoction of 0.3 cups every 2 hours. The decoction has a beneficial effect on the large intestine (stops diarrhea if you eat well-cooked rice; rice cooked with milk cleanses the intestines well; enemas from red rice decoction help with intestinal ulcers) - it is recommended for the treatment of patients with chronic diseases of the digestive tract.
When treating diseases of the esophagus, prepare rice cream:
Wash a glass of rice, dry it, fry it in a frying pan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and begins to emit a subtle aroma reminiscent of the smell of nuts. Place the rice in a saucepan, add 10 cups of water, a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Close the lid, reduce the heat and place on the flame spreader. Cook for about 1.5 hours until half the water has evaporated. Let the rice cool, then fold it into a napkin and squeeze the cream out of the paste. Serve the cream warm. It is especially recommended for people who have difficulty swallowing, as well as for breaking fasting.
Rice cooked with butter is very good for the stomach.
Cleansing the body
The simplest remedy is raw rice.
To cleanse the body of various inorganic and pathological deposits in the vessels, joints, tissues and cavities of the body, you need to take 3 kg of rice, pour it into an 8-10-liter enamel pan and rinse it daily with running cold water for 20-25 minutes. Do this procedure for a week or more until the water during rinsing is no longer cloudy. Dry the rice and put it in a jar or paper bag. Cook the washed rice in portions (1 tablespoon - 30 g) in boiling water for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the grains do not stick to the bottom. In this case, it is advisable to change the water 1-2 times. When the rice is ready, it should be washed with boiled water. You need to eat this rice warm, on an empty stomach. Do not drink water while taking it, as the rice will begin to absorb salts from it. Before eating rice, you should cleanse your intestines. After such a breakfast, you can eat and drink no earlier than 4 hours later. To increase the effectiveness of this cleansing, you need to eat 1-2 apples an hour before breakfast (they, like rice, remove salts well). If after such a breakfast you feel hungry, that’s good, the rice has begun its cleansing work. During the treatment period, you should avoid meat, smoked meats, fat, salt, spicy foods, and alcohol. Treatment can be carried out for no more than 3 months; the course should be repeated, if necessary, no earlier than after 2 years, since long-term consumption of such rice leads to desalting of the body (salts necessary for the body begin to be excreted).
Application in cosmetics
Rice flour is used in masks for aging, tired and dull facial skin. Women of the imperial families of Asia applied rice powder to their faces, this distinguished them from commoners.
For freckles
Rice flour is used to remove freckles and cleanse the face and body: rice flour gruel, boiled in melon juice, when applied topically, removes freckles and age spots on the face.
Facial skin cleansing
Cleaning is done as follows: moisten the entire face with water, then put 1 tbsp on the palm of your left hand. a spoonful of ground rice, which must be mixed with water until a paste forms. With your right hand, gradually apply the paste onto the skin of the face, while lightly rubbing the chin, nose, forehead and cheeks. As soon as you feel that the entire mass is moving freely on the skin, it must be immediately washed off with water. After this procedure, a pleasant feeling of cleanliness and softness of the skin appears. Washing oily skin with milled rice gives an exceptionally good effect, especially if you rinse it off with hot water (36°C) and then rinse your face with salted cold water. This procedure can be performed at night for a month. For oily skin, it can be repeated after 1-2 weeks, and in between, use sour milk and yolk.
Curd peeling mask
Take 1 teaspoon of ground rice, mix it thoroughly with 2 tbsp. spoons of cottage cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. It is advisable to warm the mixture before use. Spread the finished mixture over the skin, hold for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with warm water and apply nourishing cream. The mask is ideal for rough, acne-prone skin. It nourishes, refreshes, brightens and has a regenerating effect.
Anti-wrinkle mask
Dilute rice flour in milk, cucumber or lemon juice. You can beat the flour together with egg whites or honey to a dough-like mass. Keep on your face for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
In Ancient China, besides being eaten, rice was used in much the same way as a lie detector is used today. To determine guilt, the suspect was forced to take a handful of raw rice into his mouth and asked about his involvement in the crime. Then they offered to spit out the rice. Dry, non-sticky rice indicated that the defendant was guilty - his mouth was dry from excitement, and the rice remained dry. However, rice has many other, more valuable, of course, from the point of view of our time, qualities.
1. Rice is 98% complex carbohydrates, which can saturate the body with energy for a long time. By eating a cup of rice for breakfast, a person will experience less need for fatty and sweet foods throughout the day. The same property of cereal makes rice diet for weight loss one of the most easily portable.
2. Rice is rich in vitamins. It contains carotene, vitamins B and PP. In addition, rice contains calcium, iodine, iron, and selenium. Rice contains eight amino acids that the body needs to create new cells. Rice goes well with other foods. Along with rice, you can eat meat, fish, vegetables, and seafood.
3. Rice, unlike wheat, does not contain gluten, which often causes allergic reactions. Therefore, rice dishes are ideal for small children and allergy sufferers.
4. Scientists have proven that regular consumption of rice increases intellectual abilities. So following a rice diet for weight loss can have a positive effect not only on your figure, but also on your mental abilities.
5. If you have an upset stomach, rice water helps to stop diarrhea - pour a tablespoon with half a liter of water and cook until tender. The resulting decoction can be given even to infants.
6. For pilaf, it is better to choose long-grain rice - it does not stick together when cooked. Short-grain rice is softer, it boils heavily, and it is better to cook porridge from it.
7. More than thirty varieties of rice are currently cultivated. It can be white, black, red, coffee. The color and benefits of rice differ not only because of the variety, but also because of the processing method. The healthiest rice is unpolished rice.
8. Black rice, also called wild rice, is the healthiest variety of rice. It contains twice as much protein as white, and its antioxidant content puts it on par with blueberries, orange juice, red wine and grapes. The homeland of this rice is America, where it was eaten by Indians for many centuries. By the way, “America” translated from Japanese means “homeland of rice.”
9. Parboiled rice has an amber color and is more expensive than regular rice. The thing is that this rice is exposed to steam before grinding, due to which all the beneficial substances enter the grain core and are not destroyed during processing. This makes it more acceptable for following a rice diet for weight loss than white. This rice takes about ten minutes longer to cook than usual. The beautiful white color returns after the cereal is cooked.
10. Rice is very useful for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers - starch envelops the mucous membrane and protects it from damage.
In Chinese, the words “breakfast”, “lunch” and “dinner” literally mean “morning rice”, “afternoon rice”, “evening rice”.
Do you often eat rice? What dishes can you cook from it? Share your recipes!
According to Indian mythology, rice came to people directly from heaven. Once the god Pua Lamoa treated one brave young man to boiled grain - the guy liked the product so much that he decided to secretly take it with him. Only the heavenly guards did not allow this to happen. “Rice is the food of the gods, people should not eat it,” they said. The young man returned to earth, but continued to think about how to get grain. One day, while sitting in the lotus position, he noticed deep cracks in his legs. The decision was made immediately - the guy rose to heaven again, walked on the seeds that were stuck in his heels, and returned to earth with a valuable acquisition. So, according to legend, rice ended up with people, and this happened about 7-8 thousand years ago. True, for a long time only the peoples of Southeast Asia enjoyed it. In Europe they tried to grow white grains, but this did not gain much development. But today you can buy rice from almost every corner of the world - Thailand, China, Japan, India, Italy, Spain, Australia, America and, of course, from Russia -.
How does rice grow?
Rice is planted in specially prepared seed nests. The seedlings are then transplanted into flat fields surrounded by dikes called checks.
The fields are then flooded with water, which passes through special gates in the walls surrounding each field. During rice ripening, the rice grower must maintain a water level of at least 13 centimeters. For these purposes, shoes were invented - geta - wooden sandals, the soles of which had 2 wooden stands.
For weeding, the water is drained and the weeds are pulled out by hand. Then, before the leaves turn from green to yellow, the fields are drained again for harvesting.
The labor costs for growing rice are very high. Even now, in our century. Now per unit area they exceed the labor costs for growing corn by 40 times.
Sources: blog-japan.ru, genon.ru, galina.forum2x2.ru
Rice is the most popular crop in the world. It first appeared about 15,000 years ago in the area of what is now South Korea. It appeared in Europe much later - in the fourth century AD on one of the ships of Alexander the Great. But in Russia they were able to try this product only under Peter the Great and then called it “Saracenic millet.” The word “rice” itself appeared in our country only at the end of the 19th century. Today, rice is consumed in every country in the world - people eat about 700 million tons every year.5 interesting facts about rice
1. Rice is considered the largest employer in the world - about 1 billion people are employed in its production and processing, which is a sixth of the population of our planet.
2. Wild rice is not rice - it is just a distant relative. It belongs to the genus Tsitsaniya and is called “water rice”.
3. There are more than 7,000 varieties of rice in the world.
4. Rice is the staple food of more than 50% of the world's population. In Asia alone, 2 billion people get 70% of their calories from this product.
5. In Japanese, “rice” and “eat” are the same word. And “America” literally translates as “rice country.” In Chinese, the word “eat” sounds like “chifan” and is translated as “eat rice”, and “breakfast”, “lunch” and “dinner” are “early rice”, “midday rice” and “late rice”.
Useful properties of rice
Rice is an extremely healthy product for humans. It contains many vitamins and microelements that are so necessary for our body. Thus, an average serving of 50 grams provides the daily protein requirement and contains 245 kilocalories. Scientists have proven that rice, especially brown rice, is not only healthy, but also has a beneficial effect on memory and intelligence.
Rice geography
The main suppliers of rice in the world are the so-called “Rice Ten”:
1. Thailand. Almost all the most popular varieties of rice grow in this country, beloved by Russian tourists. Thai rice is well known all over the world. And the main dishes of the national cuisine of this distant country mainly consist of rice.
2. Vietnam ranks second in the world in rice exports. Rice is a cult in Vietnam. As experienced tourists say: “A Vietnamese meal is always rice and something else!”
3. India famous for its aromatic Basmati rice. This variety is required in almost all traditional cuisine recipes.
4. Pakistan, like India, it is a major producer of aromatic varieties of rice.
6. Spain is rightfully considered the cradle of European rice growing and rice eating. Rice is the main component of the Mediterranean diet (DietaMediterranea), the most famous dish of which is Paella.
7. America- the homeland of wild rice. For a long time it was the main food of North American Indians. It is worth noting that wild rice is significantly superior to all other grains in its beneficial properties.
8. Japan. The basis of Japanese life for many centuries was the cultivation of rice. This product has not lost its significance even today. Japanese rice has over 1000 varieties and is the main component of national cuisine. The average Japanese consumes rice 3 times a day.
9. China. In China, rice is the main agricultural product and no part of the plant is wasted. For example, in addition to traditional consumption as food, the Chinese use the stems to make hats, shoes and bags; the husk is used to feed livestock, and the burned roots make excellent fertilizer. For more than one and a half billion Chinese, rice is the main dish.
10. Russia. Rice appeared in Russia relatively recently - about 300 years ago. However, today it is one of the most popular components of dishes. The most consumed in our country is white round grain rice, which grows in the southern regions. It is used mainly for preparing porridges and various side dishes.
Sushi, spicy Uzbek pilaf, delicate Italian risotto or refined English rice pudding... They are all united by His Majesty rice.
It is the main ingredient in our favorite dishes. But what do we know about this ancient grain crop?
Rice can easily be called a legendary product. Its first varieties appeared about 10 thousand years ago in Asia, and scientists from all over the world are still arguing which country has the right to be called the birthplace of this cereal - India, China or Thailand.
According to the processing method, rice is classified as follows:
Brown whole grain rice. It is obtained after minimal processing, thanks to which all the nutrients of the grains are preserved.
White polished rice is the variety that we find most often. The grains of this type are even, smooth, translucent and snow-white.
Parboiled rice is a golden grain with an amber-yellow hue, which is processed using a special technology. Such grains of rice never stick together, and even if the dish is reheated, they remain tasty, aromatic and crumbly.
Rice elite
A day would not be enough to list all the varieties of rice. Therefore, let’s look at those that belong to the rice elite:
Basmati is the "world king of rice". This is an elite, expensive variety that is grown in the Himalayas. Its grains are the longest of all existing ones. It also attracts gourmets with its pronounced nutty taste, delicate texture and unique oriental aroma.
Jasmine - "Thai fragrant rice". It is grown in the countries of Southeast Asia. This is a special tender rice with a soft, crumbly structure, it has a surprisingly subtle milky aroma, which is reminiscent of jasmine.
Among the unprocessed varieties, brown, red, wild and black rice are especially valued.
It grows wild only in North America. Its grains have a light nutty aroma and a pleasant sweetish taste. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, folic acid, and contains valuable minerals.
Arborio is a translucent medium-grain rice originally from Italy. It was created, it would seem, by nature itself for preparing risotto and soups. The Italian variety of paella is similar to it - the famous Spanish dish with seafood is prepared from it.
Red rice has been known since the times of Ancient China. Once upon a time it was elite, intended only for the imperial table, but today everyone can try it. Red rice is distinguished by its rich nutty aroma and record fiber content.
There is also brown, glazed, puffed, puffed, dessert rice and many, many others.
Black rice is another ingredient in the delicacies of ancient Chinese emperors. It breaks all records for the amount of vitamins, amino acids and valuable elements. Black rice grains are incredibly beneficial for the nervous system and facial beauty, strengthens the immune system and blood vessels, and is useful for illness and anemia.
"Have you eaten your rice yet?"
In China, Cambodia, Thailand and all Southeast Asian countries, the words "breakfast", "lunch" and "dinner" are literally translated as "rice in the morning", "rice at noon" and "rice in the evening". In Japan, "eat" and "rice" are represented by the same character. Therefore, the traditional greeting in these parts is the question: “Have you eaten rice yet?” The correct response to this, regardless of whether you actually ate or not, is: "Yes, thank you. How about you?" And in Asian countries it is believed that whoever has more rice is richer. This is where the ancient tradition of sprinkling rice grains on the bride and groom arose - wishing them well-being and wealth.
A universal cure for all diseases
Rice contains a lot of microelements necessary to maintain immunity and brain function. This grain crop is a source of essential amino acids; it does not contain gluten, which means it does not cause allergies. Gastroenterologists also love to include rice in the diet. The fact is that a decoction of these grains has a mild enveloping effect and helps any wounds in the stomach to heal faster.
Rice is also used for cosmetic purposes. It is added in the form of flour to masks for aging, tired and dull skin. And this has been known since ancient times. Women of the imperial families of Asia applied rice powder to their faces.
Secret component of the Great Wall of China
Over the course of centuries and millennia, the Great Wall of China was built, destroyed and restored, but most of its fragments have survived to this day. And the secret of such strength is that to hold the blocks together during the Ming Dynasty, a special cement mortar was made from slaked lime and glutinous boiled rice.
At the end of the 20th century, residents of a small Japanese village, Inakadate, decided to attract tourists, and they came up with the idea of decorating rice fields-terraces. Every spring, local farmers come up with the plot of a new natural picture and realize their idea using rice varieties of different colors. In addition to classic oriental motifs, images familiar to the whole world began to appear on the fields - for example, Napoleon or the Mona Lisa. Now this village is visited by thousands of tourists.
Take a closer look. One grain can hide as many secrets as thousands of people will not tell you. Pay attention to what's in front of you, sometimes it's truly amazing.
Let us remind you that the Observer previously published a recipe
