The Other Rice
What exactly is brown rice? Well, first of all, brown rice isn't always brown.
"We say 'brown rice' when we mean 'whole-grain rice,' " said Cynthia Harriman, a spokeswoman and nutrition educator for the Oldways food-issues think tank and the Whole Grains Council. Brown rice actually comes in a lot of colors, she said, including red and black, the latter of which also is known as forbidden rice.
According to a definition from the USA Rice Federation, brown rice is rice with only the hull removed. The color comes from the kernel's bran layers, which carry vitamins, minerals and fiber.
It was last month that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided that brown rice can carry a "whole-grain" designation, although the fact that it hadn't been included in an earlier ruling was a technicality, Harriman said, that basically had to do with wording. The designation is important because it makes it easier for consumers to know that brown rice can help them meet one dietary goal.
"In 2005, there was a dietary guidelines recommendation to increase our whole grains," said Anne Banville, spokeswoman for the USA Rice Federation. "That really is what has given the big push to whole grains. Any authoritative source agrees we all need to get more whole grains in our diet."
Among the reasons, Harriman said, is that diets rich in whole grains and low in fat have been shown to contribute to heart health. And brown rice is rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that has been linked to protecting cells from cancer, heart disease and cataracts, according to the federation.
A plus for brown rice is that it's familiar to most people, even if, as Harriman said, "people have traditionally thought of brown rice as a hippie food; eat a bit and you'll burst out singing 'Kumbaya' or something like that."
But, she said, it has become both more sophisticated -- as in the red, black and other varieties that are being showcased in high-end restaurants -- and more familiar. In addition to the supermarket-staple long-grain, brown varieties including jasmine and basmati are showing up in local stores.
"We're seeing most whole-grain food go away from this hippie image, and also this dichotomy between foods that taste good and foods that are good for you," she said. "You shouldn't have to hold your nose and eat things because they're good for you. There are delicious things out there, and brown rice is just one of them."
"It's a familiar whole grain," said Banville. "It's not that big of a leap; people can even pronounce it." Some people, she said -- particularly moms with recalcitrant kids -- mix white and brown rice to make the latter more familiar.
Brown rice also is showing up in more convenient forms. Because the bran layers resist heat and moisture, long-grain brown rice takes 45 to 50 minutes to cook, compared to about 14 for white (although Harriman said one red variety takes 20 minutes). But, as Harriman noted, there's "lots going on in the brown-rice area." Uncle Ben's and Minute Rice have introduced precooked brown rice in cups that heat in the microwave in 90 seconds in the case of Uncle Ben's, 60 for Minute Rice (true to its name).
Banville said the new products are helping to propel double-digit annual increases -- such as 20 percent last year -- in U.S. consumption of brown rice.
"There's a whole bunch of products out there that weren't five or eight years ago, and consumers are really going for them," she said.
Special diets also are fueling the increase.
"Last year, when everybody was crazy about the South Beach Diet, brown rice was one of the few carb foods that the South Beach Diet permitted once you got past the initial phase," Banville said.
Commercial outlets also have made brown rice more familiar to consumers. Banville said the federation works with Disney World in Orlando, Fla., which has increased its menu offerings.
And Harriman, in confirming that brown rice has become "much more mainstream," noted that at outlets of the P.F. Chang's chain, "they come to the table and instead of slapping down the white rice and making you beg for the brown rice, they take your order and ask."
Laura Cherry, a spokeswoman for P.F. Chang's, said that last year the chain and its Pei Wei concept served 12 million pounds of white rice and 10 million pounds of brown.
"Every year the amount of brown rice requested seems to go up," she said, adding that that holds true for both concepts.
Which just makes sense to Harriman.
"If you serve it," she said, "they will come."
Unless otherwise noted, the following recipes are from the U.S. Rice Federation.
HERBED BROWN RICE SALAD
4 cups water
2 cups brown rice
2 2/3 cups chopped tomato (seeded, if desired)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup minced fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Dressing:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 teaspoons dry white wine
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons capers
1 teaspoon dried chervil, or 4 teaspoons fresh
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 4 teaspoons fresh
Combine rice and water in 3-quart saucepan, adding up to 1 teaspoon salt, if desired. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to low and cook 45 minutes. When done, spread rice on a large cookie sheet and cool slightly. Then put rice in a bowl, fluff with a fork and refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
Just before serving, add tomato, scallions, parsley, and salt and pepper to rice and toss lightly. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Pour over rice and toss with fork to mix.
Serves 8.
-- Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit magazine
SOUTHWEST SALSA RICE BITES
3 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
1 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese
4 eggs
1 16-ounce jar medium (or hot) thick and chunky-style salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup crushed corn or tortilla chips
Additional salsa and sour cream for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice and cheese in large bowl; set aside. In medium bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Stir in salsa, sour cream, salt and pepper. Add salsa mixture to rice and cheese; mix well.
Spray miniature muffin pans with vegetable cooking spray. Spoon approximately 11/2 tablespoons rice mixture into each cup, filling to just below the rim. Sprinkle crushed chips over filling, pressing slightly with back of spoon.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with additional salsa and sour cream, if desired.
Makes 48.
CREMINI MUSHROOM AND ROASTED GARLIC RICE SOUP
1/3 cup butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large sweet mild onion, finely chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice (divided use)
1 61/2-ounce container garlic and herbs spreadable cheese
2 14-ounce cans roasted garlic seasoned chicken broth, divided
2 cups water (plus additional, if desired)
8 slices pre-cooked ready-to-serve smoked bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Melt butter in a large nonstick stockpot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook about 10 minutes, stirring periodically. Let mixture cool slightly.
In food processor or blender, combine mushroom mixture, 11/2 cups rice, cheese and 1 cup broth. Pulse mixture until mushrooms are finely chopped but not pureed and mixture is thoroughly combined. Return mixture to stockpot; stir in remaining rice, broth and water. Bring to a boil; cook uncovered over medium heat 5 minutes.
Heat bacon slices between paper towels in microwave according to package directions. Chop bacon and set aside.
Add salt and pepper to soup to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with bacon. Garnish with additional sauteed mushrooms and chives, sliced green onions or other fresh herbs, such as sage or thyme.
Serves 8 to 12.
SALMON & RICE PACKETS WITH FENNEL, ORANGE & RAISINS
3 cups cooked medium- or long-grain brown rice
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (6-ounce each) salmon fillets, skin removed
1 medium fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into 8 rounds
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat broiler. Combine rice, raisins, orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Place 4 sheets of foil (12 by 12 inches) on a large baking sheet.
Spoon equal amounts of rice mixture in center of each sheet. Top rice with salmon; sprinkle lightly with additional salt and pepper. Top salmon with equal amounts of fennel and arrange onion slices over fennel. Squeeze orange juice evenly over all and drizzle with oil.
Wrap foil over contents and pinch ends tightly to form individual packets; broil 6 to 7 inches from heat source 20 minutes, or until salmon is opaque in center.
Serves 4.
Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.
