According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, the national summer grain harvest is now in season, and new rice is about to enter people's homes. How to select and cook it to maximize its nutrition and texture?
Four Principles for Selecting Summer Grain. Associate Professor Fan Zhihong from the College of Food Science at China Agricultural University points out that more expensive rice is not necessarily more nutritious. The biggest difference between expensive and inexpensive rice is in flavor, not nutrition. Taking Thai jasmine rice as an example, rice of different prices has similar nutritional content. You can select rice according to the following four principles.
First, look: Observe the color and appearance of the rice. Normal rice grains are even, full, smooth, and glossy, with a normal color.
Second, grab: Grab a handful of rice and observe the amount of bran powder left in your hand after releasing it. Qualified rice has very little bran powder.
Third, smell: Smell the rice. Normal rice has a fresh fragrance without any off-odors.
Fourth, taste: Taste the rice. Put a few grains in your mouth and chew them slowly. Normal rice is slightly sweet without any off-flavors.
In addition, check the information on the packaging. The packaging must include the product name, net content, name and address of the producing and distributing enterprises, production date and shelf life, quality grade, product standard number, and the "QS" mark.
"To make nutritious rice, just selecting the right rice is not enough; you also need a good cooking tool," says Professor Xiong Shanbai from the College of Food Science and Technology at Huazhong Agricultural University. "Based on our research on rice cooking processes, a cooking method with lower pressure (compared to a pressure cooker), lower temperature, and minimal boiling is more conducive to retaining nutrients and flavor substances. The protein and starch in the rice are more easily digested and absorbed by the body."
Traditionally, there are two main ways to cook rice: steaming and boiling. This process is also a key stage where nutrients can be lost. To lock in the nutrition and moisture of the rice, Professor Xiong recommends controlling the cooking time well. Different types of rice have different requirements for soaking time and water temperature. For example, Thai jasmine rice has long, slender grains and is less sticky. When cooking it, you should add a bit more water and soak it for a slightly longer time. Indica rice is more "yielding" (produces more volume), but it digests quickly and can make you feel hungry sooner soon after eating. Japonica rice belongs to the short-grain category, with grains that are long-oval, semi-translucent, and moderately sticky. After cooking, the grains are slightly sticky but can still be separated. It is suitable for making rice or congee but absorbs less water and is "not yielding." With technological advancements, housewives are spared the trouble of these calculations. Currently, some fully intelligent rice cookers on the market, such as those from Midea, effectively solve this problem with their "precision cooking" program. They can control the heating process according to the optimal temperature and nutritional curves for different types of rice, ensuring that the grains fully absorb water during cooking, quickly lock in nutrients, and make the protein and starch in the rice more easily digested and absorbed. Four "尽量s" (try your bests) for cooking rice:
● Try to keep rice "plain". Try not to add salt, soy sauce, or MSG to the rice to avoid extra sodium, which is not beneficial for controlling blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular accidents.
● Try to make rice "coarse". "Coarse" means reducing the amount of refined white rice as much as possible. Black rice, purple rice, brown rice, and germ rice, which are rich in dietary fiber, are all good choices for cooking.
● Try to make rice "mixed". When cooking rice or congee, it's best not to use a single type of grain. Instead, mix rice with coarse grains, beans, and nuts. For example, red bean rice and peanut-oatmeal rice congee are very suitable meals for patients with chronic illnesses.
● Try to make rice "colorful". White rice has a very low vitamin content. If you choose colored rice and pair it with other foods to make the meal vibrant, you can significantly improve its nutritional value.