It would be hard to overestimate the importance of rice: Every day about half of the world’s population gets as much as half of its daily calories from this grain. Although much of that rice is sold with the nutritious bran polished away, brown rice’s bran and germ are intact, making it a whole grain. Indeed, a growing awareness of the health benefits of whole grains is helping to increase brown rice’s popularity. Brown rice takes longer to cook than the white variety, but its nutritional qualities, boosted by a pleasantly chewy texture and hearty flavor, make it worth the wait.

　　

Ingredients

　　

HEALTH BENEFITS

Step 1

Brown rice’s germ offers the antioxidant vitamin E, as well as cholesterol-lowering phytosterols. Its bran provides plenty of B vitamins, almost a day’s worth of manganese, and more than a third of your selenium requirement. Thanks to the bran, a cup of brown rice also contains about 3.5 grams of fiber—more than five times the amount in white rice. And the bran acts as a natural detoxifier, flushing out toxins that accumulate in your body, such as mercury. Because it contains more fiber, brown rice has a gentler effect on blood sugar levels than white rice.

　　

HOW TO BUY

Step 2

The three basic types of rice—short, medium, and long grain—are all available in their natural brown state. You can also buy brown versions of specialty rices like basmati, jasmine, and Arborio, but the bran will change the flavor and texture somewhat.

　　

HOW TO STORE

Step 3

Its oil-rich germ makes brown rice more perishable than white rice. Store it in a cool, dry place in an airtight container and use within six months.

　　

PREPARATION TIP

Step 4

To cook short-grain brown rice, bring 2 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup rice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for another 10 minutes for rice to fully absorb all the water (you will have 2 1/2 cups cooked rice). For long-grain rice, follow the same instructions using 1 3/4 cups water and simmering for 35 to 40 minutes.

　　

DID YOU KNOW?

Step 5

More than 8,000 varieties of rice are used for food, grown in dozens of countries around the world. In fact, in some Asian languages, the words meaning “to eat” and “to eat rice” are the same.

　　

recipes

Step 6

Hearty Spinach and Chickpea Soup p.148

　　

Step 7

Brown Rice with Tofu, Dried Mushrooms, and Baby Spinach p.232

　　

Step 8

Vegetable-Rice Bowl with Miso Dressing p.235

　　

Step 9

Wild and Brown Rice Salad p.301

　　Power Foods