Rice Contest: Indica Rice vs. Japonica Rice
Everyone is familiar with fried rice. On weekdays, we go to a restaurant and order a random portion of Yangzhou Fried Rice . After ten minutes, we will be warmly entertained by the shop owner. But, do you know what type of rice is used to make fried rice?
From a common sense perspective, rice can be divided into indica rice and japonica rice. The rice used to make Yangzhou fried rice is indica rice! So, what is the difference between indica rice and japonica rice?
Difference 1: The taste of the two types of rice is different. Taste is the most critical factor in choosing food. Indica rice has a tougher texture and distinct grains. Japonica rice has a relatively soft texture, smooth and silky texture. The reason for this difference is the different content of amylose in rice.
The amylose content in rice directly determines the hardness of the rice grains. The higher the amylose content of , the harder the rice grains will be. The amylose content of indica rice is around 25%, and the amylose content of japonica rice is around 15%. Therefore, indica rice is harder than japonica rice.
Difference 2: The appearance of the two types of rice is different. Indica rice has an elongated shape, while japonica rice has an oval shape. Difference 3 between
: The functions of the two meters are different. Different rice has different uses. In Guangdong, China, if diners want to eat claypot rice , they will use indica rice. If they want to drink a bowl of health porridge, then they will choose japonica rice. In this way, the porridge will be soft, glutinous and sticky.
Difference 4: The growth environment and growth cycle of the two kinds of rice are different. indica rice is suitable for growing in areas with longer sunshine hours and is very tolerant to dry land and high temperature areas. It is worth mentioning that indica rice has a shorter growth cycle and can be harvested two to three times a year.
Japonica rice is more suitable for growing in areas with shorter sunshine hours and is not afraid of the cold temperatures in the north. Japonica rice has a longer growth cycle and usually matures once a year. However, it’s not too late to have a good meal. The highly praised Wuchang rice is the japonica rice that matures once a year.
From a professional perspective, rice can be divided into rice and high-quality rice. According to the National Standard of the People's Republic of China GB/T 1354-2018, the standard for judging whether rice is of high quality is based on broken rice content, moisture content and impurity content.
Rice’s family: rice derivatives
desserts
If amylose determines the taste of rice, then for glutinous rice, it is like mud that cannot hold up the wall. Glutinous rice, also known as glutinous rice. Genetic variation resulting from the rice cultivation process, its amylose content is less than 5%. When scientists discovered this rice, they were very worried about how to use it on the dining table.
Fortunately, we Chinese are good at teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. Soon, people turned the disadvantages of glutinous rice into advantages, using its sufficient viscosity to make summer desserts or breakfasts such as siomai. In this way, glutinous rice transformed into a popular delicacy that can be either salty or sweet.
Rice noodles
In addition to glutinous rice, rice derivatives include various rice noodles and rice noodles. In order to make rice noodles and rice noodles chewy, merchants generally use indica rice to make such foods. Take snail noodles as an example. In addition to rich ingredients, snail noodles are also more elastic than freshly made rice noodles and rice noodles sold in general restaurants. The reason is that snail noodles are made from aged indica rice that has been stored for more than one year.
spicy strips
In addition to the above-mentioned derivative products, the spicy strips common in our daily life are also made of rice. Spicy strips are made by steaming leftover rice with flour. In 2018, my country's spicy tiao market reached 60 billion yuan, which shows how much consumers love spicy tiao.
Errata of rice: misunderstandings about rice
Although rice provides us with many delicious derivative products, there are still many misunderstandings about rice.
Misunderstanding 1: If there are gaps in the rice, is it caused by bugs?
When we buy rice, we will find a gap in the rice.Many people think they were stung by insects. This is not actually the case. As we all know, rice comes from rice. The rice itself is composed of chaff, pericarp, seed coat, outer endosperm, aleurone layer, endosperm and embryo.
The reason why rice has gaps is that after processing, the chaff, peel and other substances have been removed, leaving only the endosperm. Therefore, when we buy rice in the supermarket and find that there are gaps in the rice, not only are they not damaged by insects, but they just prove that it is polished rice.
Myth 2: Does engineering rice endanger human health?
When we travel or camp in the wild, we usually choose convenience foods to carry. At this time, self-heating rice is a good choice. Self-heating rice uses engineered rice. The taste is very different from that of cooked new rice, and many consumers have begun to question the harm of engineered rice to the human body.
In fact, engineered rice poses no health threat to the human body. The reason why self-heating rice tastes different from cooked rice is because the rice packets of self-heating rice are processed. is ground into rice flour, added with water to make a batter, steamed and dried, then pressed into the shape of rice, and finally polished.
Therefore, the self-heating rice we usually buy is already cooked rice, but we need to soak it in hot water. It is worth noting that: every food has its own function, and our attitude towards food should be to enjoy rather than criticize.
Misunderstanding 3: Rice without aroma is of poor quality?
When we Chinese cook food, we pay attention to a color, flavor and taste. You can usually smell the aroma of rice when cooking at home, but sometimes not in the canteen. So does this mean that the rice used in the canteen is of poor quality?
The answer is no. The aroma of rice comes from the heating of proteins and fatty acids. During the high-temperature cooking process, the 2AP of the rice itself is emitted.
determines the content of 2AP including climate, soil and water quality. However, the substance 2AP does not last forever, but will disappear over time. Take lunch as an example. The canteen usually starts making it around 10 o'clock before it can be served to diners. Therefore, by noon, the aroma of the rice has long disappeared. This phenomenon is normal. Rice without aroma is just a matter of cooking time, and the quality is still acceptable.
rice selection: look at the place of origin online and see the actual product offline
In addition to understanding the main classifications of rice and some misunderstandings about rice, how should we choose rice in our daily lives? For young people who like to shop online, online selection of rice can start from the place of origin of the rice. If you want to choose rice with a soft texture, you can choose rice produced in the northeast. If you want to choose rice with a harder texture, you can choose rice produced in the south of Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River .
However, I still recommend that you buy rice offline. Nowadays, supermarkets generally sell a wide range of rice varieties, and it is easier to choose good quality rice when buying rice on site. For offline selection of rice, it can be divided into the following steps:
Rub and rub : Rub and rub the rice. Good-quality rice generally still has clear grains after rubbing, while poor-quality rice will have a sticky feeling;
Second smell: Good-quality rice generally exudes a fresh rice aroma. If you find rice with a peculiar smell during the rice selection process, then you must give up decisively;
Third look at the color: When we buy rice, we should pay attention to the color of the rice. Generally, new rice is transparent and white as a whole, while spoiled rice will turn yellow.
In addition to the above three steps, in the process of selecting rice, we should also pay attention to lightning protection. Some rice in supermarkets that claims to contain the trace element and is a minefield. Take the selenium-rich rice in supermarkets as an example. It is a complete IQ tax.
Just like we don’t need to go to a special oxygen bar to absorb oxygen , the same is true for our dietary structure. As long as we keep ingesting nutrients on time and in amounts every day, there will be no shortage of trace elements in our bodies.What tips do you have when buying rice in your daily life?
Author: Ermei Proofreader: Chuanchuan
Reference:
[1] Zhang Shiying. Why is Wuchang rice called "Wuchang". Guangming Daily, 2022-11-08.
[2] Han Bo. The secret of why Wuchang rice is famous all over the world. Heilongjiang Daily, 2022-10-05.
[3] Ren Chong. Use artificial rice for self-heating rice? . Liberation Daily, 2022-07-27.
[4] Ding Mengfei. How is good rice “born”? . Corps Daily (Han), 2022-01-06.
[5] Hou Yajie. Steaming out "Chinese flavor" to win on the "tip of the tongue". Farmers Daily, 2021-10-13.
[6]. Build a Chinese rice brand and promote the upgrading of the supply and demand structure. Farmers Daily, 2016-12-10.
