When I learned to cook, a “grain” was either a breakfast cereal or white rice — usually of the instant variety. Later I was introduced to brown rice and granola. I tolerated the former to be hip; the latter I actually liked, probably because it was sweet.
Eventually, I learned how to cook real rice, and then sushi rice, and then risotto. My grandmother taught me how to make kasha. I produced my own granola, nuttier and less sweet. I experimented with wild rice and bulgur, and found ways to cook brown rice and wheat berries so they were enjoyable. Quinoa was a revelation, but it was still years before I turned to anything other than white rice as a first choice in grains.
This book changed all that. The more grains I had in my pantry, the more often I cooked them. The more I cooked them, the more I liked them. And in the course of developing this chapter, I made some discoveries that made grain cooking easier and more delicious: I learned to parboil brown rice to use it in place of white rice in any recipe. I learned how easy and smart it was to cook grains in advance, how to use leftover grains as garnishes, and that many grains are interchangeable. And I learned that whole grains are among the few foods that are both healthy and filling. In short, I was a convert.
For all of these reasons, I encourage you to try every whole grain you can get your hands on. While the low-carb diet trend continues in various guises — it’s all about gluten content now — it has created a market for more interesting grains beyond rice and wheat; you can now buy freekeh (which has more protein than quinoa, and a smoky flavor to boot) and einkorn (an ancient grain that has been cultivated for thousands of years) in supermarkets. And, of course, by going online, you can not only get any of the grains discussed in this chapter delivered to your door, you might be able to find them grown by local farmers.
Stock as many grains as you’ll use within a year or so, and that you have room for. (The fridge or even freezer is best, but of course they’re fairly shelf-stable; more on that in a bit.) As you work your way through this chapter, you’ll see that I often consider many grains interchangeable: “The Grain Lexicon” (see page 400) is arranged by cooking time to help you make easy substitutions. I start with rice recipes and relevant info, since it’s still the grain people turn to most often; other grains, including corn and couscous (not exactly a grain, but . . . this is where it belongs) follow.
Most grains are members of the grass family. The notable exceptions are buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth, which are in another category of plants (and distantly related to each other). Even so, all grains have the same basic composition: If you were to look at a single grain and work from the outside in, you would first see the bran, thin but tough layers that protect the interior. Next comes the germ, the “embryo” at the base of the grain, and then the endosperm, which makes up the bulk of the grain and provides food for the germ.
We sometimes eat the bran and germ, which contain the most nutrients and fiber, as well as the oil that makes grains perishable, and we always eat the endosperm. Most grains are entirely edible, though rice, barley, and oats have an additional protective outer layer, an inedible husk or hull that must be removed before being eaten.
The process of removing parts of grains for consumption is called “milling.” When the hull — and only the hull — is removed from rice, for example, it retains its bran and germ and is called “brown.” Those grains without an outer husk, like wheat, can be eaten “whole,” that is, with no milling at all. The less grains are milled, the higher they are in both nutrients and flavor, and the longer they take to cook. This is a trade-off and a choice.
Highly milled grains like white rice, pearled barley, and rolled oats contain just the endosperm — the white or light tan interior of the grain — basically starch and protein. These are the grains with which we’re most familiar.
Whole grains, those that are minimally milled to retain their germ and bran, deliver more fiber than any other food. This is important, since the general consensus is that adults should eat 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, which is a lot. (Most people average around 5 grams.) A single serving of wheat berries, cracked wheat, or millet can supply up to 25 to 30 percent of that daily recommendation. Eat bulgur or hulled (not pearled) barley and you can get there even faster.
Grains also contain protein in amounts ranging from modest (rice) to substantial (oats, quinoa, freekeh, wild rice). And grains provide, in varying amounts, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals — the micronutrients thought to protect us from all sorts of ailments and ills — in quantities that are at least as high as vegetables like broccoli and tomatoes.
Increasingly, grains are being grown throughout the country and sold locally, often by farmers. These are often the best, but you can buy fresh, good-quality whole grains just about anywhere these days.
All whole grains can spoil, and they’re temperature sensitive; the natural oils in the bran and germ turn rancid much more quickly when it’s warm. Since you never know how long the package has already been sitting on the store shelf, keep whole grains in the refrigerator or your freezer if you have room. (They need not be thawed before use.) White rice is the least vulnerable of all grains since it has no oils to turn rancid; keep it in a cool, dry spot and it will keep indefinitely. For best flavor and nutrition, and for the fastest cooking times, use grains as quickly as you can — it’s better to shop more often than to let them go bad.
Grains are cleaned in the milling process, but most should be rinsed before cooking. Rice may have been coated with talc, quinoa may retain a bit of bitter-tasting, naturally occuring saponin, and any grain may be gritty or have leftover bits of husk or other chaff. Put them in a fine-meshed strainer and rinse under cold running water, shaking and tossing them a bit, or wash in a pot and then drain.
There are thousands of varieties of rice, but they all fall into just a few categories, so you don’t need to know too much.
There are two main groups: indica and japonica. Indica are long-grain rices, which produce generally fluffy and separated grains when cooked. Japonica are medium- and short-grain rices that are sticky and moist when cooked. So long-grain or short-grain is the basic distinction. But it’s not the only one.
Any rice can be “brown,” just as any rice can be milled to be “white.” Brown rice has had only its inedible hull removed, leaving the bran and germ intact. The color of the bran varies from light tan to red to deep indigo to black. So all of the specialty colored rices — red, black, purple, etc. — are just “brown” rices, with different color brans. Like all whole grains, brown rice is more nutritious than its white counterpart, and deliciously different to boot.
See the sidebar on page 368 for how to use brown rice in place of white rice.
The indica group of rices have individual grains that are at least three times longer than they are wide. When cooked, they’re fluffy and separated; the flavor is neutral to delicately sweet and nutty; all are available brown or white. Different types include:
Southern long-grain The most common long-grain rice in the world and the most widely grown rice in the United States.
Basmati The best-known and most aromatic rice of South Asia; the premium grade is aged for at least a year. The grains elongate and separate when cooked, and have a distinctly nutty aroma and complex flavor. Worth keeping on hand all the time.
Jasmine Sweetly aromatic Thai rice that is white, smooth, and cooks up slightly sticky. (Broken jasmine rice makes very good sticky rice.)
American Aromatics A group of rices that includes Texmati, Kasmati, Calmati, Jasmati, Della, Wild Pecan, Louisiana Pecan, and Popcorn. They’re all knockoffs or hybrids of either basmati or jasmine combined with southern long-grain.
Long-grain sticky rices like Thai, sticky jasmine, glutinous, sweet, or kao niow (“sticky rice” in Thai); also called glutinous rice or sweet rice. Generally, these slender, opaque white kernels turn translucent when cooked — except the black variety, which is black or dark purple in color. They’re aromatic, with a sweet flavor and very sticky but firm texture (in Thailand and elsewhere, it’s formed into small balls and eaten with the hands, like bread). Best steamed (see page 370); black sticky rice is traditionally cooked with coconut milk and palm sugar as a dessert.
Red rices like California Red, Wehani, Himalayan Red, Thai, and Camargue, are all brown rices that, through breeding or accident, have red bran. They’re usually more expensive than standard brown rice but not much different in flavor.
Converted and instant rices These rices are pre-processed to reduce cooking time; since rice in general is easy and fast to cook, I don’t see any reason in the world to buy them.
Varieties in the japonica group — short-grain rices — are fat and rounder than long-grain. They’re also stickier and moister, as well as glossy in a most appealing way, when cooked. These are the most common in the United States:
Calrose The most frequently seen variety, sometimes labeled and sometimes not. Other strains are based on Japanese rices like mochi, Koshihikari, and Akitakomachi, rarely labeled. Most are grown in California. Generally, the kernels are glossy, sticky but firm, moist, and neutral in flavor. They are good, inexpensive substitutes for Arborio and other short- and medium-grain rices in risotto and paella.
Risotto rices like Arborio (most common), Vialone Nano, and Carnaroli, are more expensive. Their center remains firm when cooked (not overcooked, though!), and their starchy outer layers create that creamy risotto texture. Superfino is a slightly longer grain than fino risotto rice. Use common short- or medium-grain rice as a substitute if you like; the difference is noticeable but only slightly. Paella rices, like Valencia, Bomba, Bahia, and Granza, are similar. Brown varieties can be substituted for white if you follow the directions on page 368.
Short-grain sticky rices Also called glutinous, sweet, or waxy, these mostly come from China, Korea, and Japan. They’re opaque and plump with a slightly sweet flavor and sticky but firm texture. Usually, but not always, these rices are used in desserts and sweet dishes. Mochi is a Japanese sticky rice that’s often made into a dough to make rice cakes (see page 339).
American Black, Red, and Mahogany rices Aromatic rices with a nutty and spicy flavor. The colors are deeply hued and quite beautiful.