rice
Brown rice is the wholegrain of unpolished rice. The outer shell, filled with nutrients, gives it the distinctive brown color. Polishing rice removes the germ and the yellowish-brown outer layers (which contain the bran).
White rice is rice with the nutritious outer hull removed by polishing, giving it the distinctive white color. There are still some nutrients (in particualr starch), but most of the valuable nutrients have been removed. White rice is fluffier than brown rice.
botanical information:
Botanical name: Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima
Common name: brown rice, rice, white rice
Wild rice isn’t actually a rice, but is similar to brown rice in look, texture, taste, and nutrients.
nutritional information:
Wholegrain rice is a source of iron.
See also: brown rice, wild rice, sweet rice.
Chinese herbalism:
The Chinese viewed rice as the most neutral and balanced of all foods.
Chinese gender: neutral
Chinese flavor: sweet
Sweet rice is slightly warm and sweet.
By 1000 B.C.E. the Chinese were distlling rice wine.
