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A Little Lexicon of Rice Varieties

There are thousands of varieties of rice on the planet. Each has different attributes in terms of shape, flavour and cooking methods. Here are some of the most common types of rice available here, plus recipe ideas for cooking them.

Arborio Rice

This round-grain rice is an essential part of risotto as it confers perfect richness and creaminess to the dish. It easily soaks up the flavours you want to give it.

Basmati Rice

This highly aromatic rice is a staple of Indian cuisine. The long, thin grains are not sticky and their distinctive characteristic is that they lengthen during cooking.

Bomba Rice

Mostly used for paella, this short-grain rice has a great absorption capacity, remaining firm without getting mushy. In other words, everything you want for this Spanish dish.

Brown Rice

This is a whole-grain rice that retains all the nutrients contained in its husk. It requires a little more cooking time than white rice and has a richer taste.

Calrose Rice

Sometimes called “sushi rice”, it is a short-grain rice that doesn’t harden much when cooling. It must be slightly sticky to adhere to the nori sheets.

White Parboiled Rice

Parboiled rice is heated, husked and steamed, then given a sous vide treatment, forcing part of the nutrients in the husk and bran into the grain, for a firmer, less sticky texture than that of regular rice.

Jasmine Rice

Similar to basmati rice in terms of taste, this long-grain rice is quite sticky and moist once cooked. Also, it cooks fairly quickly.

Wild Rice

This is a plant in the grass family, close to rice in botanical terms, but belonging to a distinct genus. With its slight hazelnut taste, it is especially popular in North America and is grown in the Great Lakes region.

Black Rice

Also known as “forbidden rice”, it was once reserved for Chinese emperors. This slow-cooking, intensely black clumpy rice is a round whole-grain rice, with slightly pointy ends.