What are the most popular types of rice?
Rice comes in three main varieties: short, medium, and long grain. Each type cooks a bit differently and is best suited to different dishes, although you can always substitute one kind of rice for another in most recipes. The exception to this would be using a dry type of rice in place of "sticky" rice if the rice is supposed to stick together, such as in sushi or some desserts. Even though different rice varieties have slightly different flavors, the main division between them is the texture, which is why there are different types of rice to choose from depending on the result you want to achieve. You can also combine more than one kind of rice to add more dimension to your rice-based recipe. Do bear in mind that some types of rice (for example, brown) can take more than double the amount of time to cook as other kinds, so you might have to cook them separately or else add the faster-cooking rice halfway through. Jasmine rice is a very popular variety from Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and suits stews and curries, along with stir-fries. Basmati has longer grains than jasmine rice and it's another fragrant option. Wild rice is high in fiber (it has about three times the fiber of white rice) as well as antioxidants, which is why it's often mixed with another type of rice. Sushi rice is a short-grain variety from Japan and is only used to make sushi. Long-grain rice is a term that covers basmati, jasmine, and other long-grain rice types. When cooked properly, long-grain rice should be fluffy and dry. This means it's better suited to salads, stir-fries, or vegetable dishes rather than risotto or sushi which are better with short-grain rice. Brown rice is more common in grocery stores today than ever, largely because it is more nutritious than its white cousin. Arborio rice is another delicious variety and it's the typical choice for risotto because it's higher in starch which gives risotto its characteristic creaminess. Carnaroli rice is another good choice for risottos because it's also high in starch Black rice, which is also known as forbidden rice or purple rice, is higher in protein than white or brown rice and is also rich in fiber as well as iron. It has a chewy texture. Paella is traditionally prepared with bomba rice which expands across its width rather than its length, helping it absorb all the paella sauce flavors.