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Rice can be found in many varieties. Here is a list of those different varieties.
Arborio
Arborio is a translucent, plump rice with a characteristic white dot at the center of the grain. It comes in Italian-style, medium and short grains. When cooked, it has a creamy texture with a chewy center that easily absorbs flavours. It is primarily used in risotto and rice puddings.
Aromatic or Scented
Aromatic or scented rice is available in a variety of aromas, lengths and colours. Aromatic rice has a natural aroma and flavour similar to that of popcorn or roasted nuts. The most popular forms are listed below but many specialty varieties are also available.
Basmati
When cooked Basmati rice is dry and separate. It is a long grain rice which swells only lengthwise when cooked, resulting in long, thin grains.
Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is a long grain rice which, when cooked, is soft, moist and clings together. It is popular in Asian cuisine, and mostly grown in Asia.
Della
Della is a cross between long grain and basmati rice, which was originally developed in the United States. It has an aroma and flavour similar to basmati and cooks dry and separate. The cooked kernels, however, are not as long and slender as basmati because the grains, when cooked, swell in both length and width, like regular long grain rice.
Calrose
Calrose is a japonica rice, available in short and medium grain, grown primarily in California. It is used in Japanese, Italian and Caribbean cuisines and has a clingy, moist and firm nature when cooked.
Sweet or Glutinous Rice
Sweet or glutinous rice has an opaque white grain and is commonly known as "Sticky" rice because of the stickiness of the grains when cooked. This rice is a favourite for oriental dishes and desserts.
Coloured Rice
Coloured rice is available in long, medium and short grain, as well as aromatic. Red, Mahogany and Black are the colours most commonly seen and make an exotic addition to your meals, whether blended with other rice or on its own.
Organic Rice
Organic rice is certified according to government regulations to have been grown free of pesticides and herbicides. Organically farmed rice has been grown using techniques and materials that conserve and build the soil resource, pollute little, and encourage development of a healthy diverse agro-ecosystem, which supports natural pest management. These techniques and materials include diverse crop rotations, green-manuring, cover crops, livestock manure, composting, mineral-rich rock powders, etc. Organic farmers do not use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides; they also take precautions against pesticide drift from off-farm and other sources of contamination. Many kinds of equipment and storage areas employed in organic production must either be dedicated to organic use or properly cleaned between conventional and organic use. A considerable amount of paperwork and documentation is required to ensure organic integrity.
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