Worldwide, there are more than 40,000
different varieties of rice. Often times, rice is categorized by its size
as being either short grain, medium grain or long grain. Short grain,
which has the highest starch content, makes the stickiest rice, while
long grain is lighter and tends to remain separate when cooked. The
qualities of medium grain fall between the other two types. Another way
that rice is classified is according to the degree of milling that it
undergoes. This is what makes a brown rice different than a white rice.
Thus, the primary differences in different varieties of rice are their
cooking characteristics, shapes and even colors and in some cases, a
subtle flavor difference. The influx of convenience foods has brought
consumers rice in bags, packets and cartons. Rice can be purchased
cooked or uncooked, packed, dehydrated and also frozen. To meet the many
special requirements of packaged foods, rice undergoes varying degrees
of processing, including regular-milled, parboiled, precooked, and
brown.
Accordingly, we can divide types and forms of rice in the
following categories:
