What's New in Rice Archive

Did You Know: 12 Interesting Rice Facts

In honor of National Rice Month and Whole Grains Awareness Month, we’ve compiled a variety of facts people are often surprised to learn about rice. Armed with this knowledge, we hope it helps enhance your culinary expertise and gives you some fun facts to share with colleagues. Each insight has a link for more information, so we encourage you to visit other parts of the Web site to learn as much as you can about rice.

Did You Know:

1. Brown rice is 100% whole grain; other whole grain rice includes U.S. aromatic red rice and U.S black japonica rice.
2. The difference between brown rice and white rice is removing the bran and germ from the grain; see rice anatomy for more details.
3. Many U.S. rice mills use laser sorters to look for broken, discolored or immature kernels and remove them from the whole kernels of rice during processing. This technology enables the U.S. rice industry’s milling process to consistently produce a product of unsurpassed quality.
4. Rice is gluten free and non-allergenic and so is ideal for people with food allergies including gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. More and more restaurants are adding gluten-free items to menus. Learn more rice nutrition information.
5. Parboiled rice is not “instant” or “quick-cooking” rice; it’s a long-grain rice that is processed differently than regular milled rice and offers the benefits of cooking up as separate, slightly firmer grains and holds well for long periods.
6. Six states (Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas) grow enough high-quality rice to feed America and the U.S. also exports rice to many countries around the world.
7. The U.S. rice industry is unique in its ability to produce many different rice varieties including short, medium and long grain as well as aromatic and specialty varieties.
8. U.S. rice does not require washing or rinsing before cooking because it is a clean, high quality product; see our FAQ page for more information.
9. Rice came to America in 1685 after a storm-battered ship from Madagascar reached a South Carolina harbor. As a gift for repairing the ship, the captain gave local planters a small quantity of “Golden Seede Rice”; read more about U.S. rice’s history.
10. All sushi served in America is made with U.S. rice. As one of the most popular items on menus today, sushi requires a specific preparation technique. See how The Culinary Institute of America prepares a Maki Sushi.
11. Successful rice farming no longer depends on heavy seasonal rainfall. Today, machinery creates ideal fields that enable uniform flooding and controlled draining. And laser guides help position water control levees for optimal results; learn more about U.S. rice farming and cultivation.
12. Brown rice typically has a shelf life of six months whereas milled rice (white, parboiled or pre-cooked) will keep almost indefinitely; see more storage tips.