The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-24
new RICE TRICK
Law in Louisiana Against
a Special Treatment.
Process is Called "Parraffining' 1t
Improves Appearance of
the Product.

A law went into operation in Louis
lana this month prohibiting the para
filming" of rice 1t has already created
a stir and is likely to make its influence
felt wherever rice is imported or
milled and cleaned. One of the leading
rice millers of New York threatens to
carry the matter into court and attack
the constitutionality of the act, which,
he insists, is an illegal interference
with legitimate business and a dis
elimination against an industry.
The paraffining of rice does not in
volve adulteration, but is process
used in milling the rice in order to
polish it and give it a rich bright
shine The value of the rice depends
upon its appearance. If it is bright
and shiny it is graded high and brings
a good price; if it is dull, it is consid-
cred old, and brings less. Hence the
millers, in freeing the rice from its hull
or husk, polish it in order to give it a
handsome, fresh and shiny appearance.
Fresh rice, especially Louisiana rice,
coming as it does straight from the
rice fields, has enough natural oil
about it to take a high polish at the
mills, but old or stale rice, and most
of the imported rice, is dull and will
not polish naturally. To supply this
deficiency the millers use various oils,
but mainly paraffine' The rice grains
are soaked in oil or polished with it,
and receive a higher grade on account
of the shine so impaired.
Objection was made to this process
before the Legislature. 1t was shown
that while the use of oils, and parti-
cularly paraffine, improved the grade
of the rice, it injured it as an article
of food; it left behind an odor and
taste which chung to the rice and were
disagreeable. Moreover, the excessive
amount of oil used rendered the pro-
per cooking of the rice impossible, and
the practice would have in time, it was
declared, a disposition to drive rice
out of the market.
The Louisiana rice growers have for
some time past been endeavoring to
bring rice into favor again as a food,
| and have spent a great deal of money
| on much the same lines as the Agricul-
tural Department has expended with
! Col. "Cornmeal' Murphy in Europe.
Col. Murphy has been abroad for sew
eral years trying TO introduce corn as
an article of human food into Germany
by showing the people Of that country
how to cook it. The demand for rice
big crop is raised in Louisiana prices
go down. because there is no market
for the surplus. To create that market
the rice farmers have distributed lite
ing how rice ought to be cooked, and
the many delicious dishes that can be
made with it. They have sent exhibits
10 all the Western fairs and eXposi-
tons, where they have established
kitchens turning out jambalayas, gom-
hos, rice cakes, croQuettes, and other
deliCacies and disturbing samples OF
!; rice, with the cook books. In fine
they have been carrying on cam.
paign which they believe will, in time
teach the people how to cook rice and
therefore to like it. Paraffined rice
they say, would ruin this campaign
1t is impossible to cook it properly OF
to make it edible and pleasant. The
Legislature appreciated the argument
and forbade the parafine of rice.
| Against that law the millers com.
plain. They say that Louisiana rice