Three tips for choosing good rice. Adding some ingredients when cooking can protect blood vessels and prevent three highs.

People are the foundation of a country, and grain is the life of the people. Grain is indispensable in our lives. In life, there are many kinds of rice, such as brown rice, germ rice, sprouted rice, parboiled rice, polished rice, organic rice, selenium-rich rice, no-wash rice, volcanic rock rice, bamboo nutritious rice, no-wash rice... What are the differences between them? How should we store the extra rice we buy? How can we steam a pot of nutritious and delicious rice from the rice we buy home?

The difference between various types of rice

Faced with the brown rice, germ rice, sprouted rice, parboiled rice, polished rice, and rice that does not need to be washed, people with difficulty choosing say it is "difficult to make a choice". Li Zaigui, a professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, said that these rice are essentially rice grains, and the difference lies in the different processing techniques. After the rice grains are husked, they are divided into four parts: bran, aleurone, endosperm, and germ. Parboiled rice, also known as half-cooked rice, is rice grains that are made after the rice grains are cleaned, soaked, steamed, dried and other hydrothermal treatments before husking, and then husked and milled according to conventional methods. During the processing, the rice grains will absorb substances in the rice husk and rice bran, such as some nutrients and pigments; brown rice is rice grains that have only been husked, with the husk, endosperm and other parts all retained; germ rice is brown rice that has been milled to a lesser extent, with part of the endosperm removed, but the germ part still retained; germinated rice is brown rice that has shown a tendency to germinate or has already germinated after a period of time under a certain temperature and humidity; polished rice is brown rice that has been milled and cleaned to a certain extent, with the endosperm basically removed and the endosperm is shiny; no-washing rice, also known as clean rice, is rice grains that have the bran powder remaining on the surface of the polished rice removed cleanly, and do not need to be washed before cooking.

In terms of appearance, brown rice is brown; parboiled rice is light brown, and the rice grains are translucent; germinated rice is also darker in color, and obvious sprouts can be seen; other rice is white, among which germ rice has light brown germs visible on the rice grains; polished rice and no-wash rice are both clean and shiny, and the latter has a cleaner surface.

From a nutritional point of view, parboiled rice has the highest nutritional value, because it not only retains the nutrition of brown rice, but also absorbs some nutrients from the rice husk during the parboiling process; brown rice is also nutritious, with dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins significantly higher than ordinary rice. Both germinated rice and germ rice retain the germ and contain richer nutrients such as protein and fat, but germinated rice is more nutritious, especially the dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins are higher than germ rice. The nutrition of polished rice and unwashed rice is slightly inferior, and their dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins are all lower.

From the perspective of eating experience, polished rice and unwashed rice have the best taste. Unwashed rice is more finely processed and has a slightly better flavor. The taste and flavor of germ rice are similar to those of ordinary rice, and most people can easily accept it. The other types of rice have defects in flavor or taste: the endosperm of brown rice has a high dietary fiber content and a dense structure, which makes it difficult to absorb water during steaming, so it has a harder taste and a poorer eating experience. Germinated rice is sprouted brown rice, and its taste is also relatively poor. Parboiled rice has a harder taste and is less acceptable than brown rice.

When cooking, brown rice, germ rice, sprouted rice and parboiled rice can be soaked for a longer time (at least 1 hour) and the amount of water added should be increased to improve the taste. If it is still unacceptable, you can add a small amount to ordinary rice and cook it into multi-grain rice. Parboiled rice is recommended to be made into fried rice or curry rice to cover up its special flavor. Polished rice and unwashed rice are cooked in the same way as ordinary rice.

It should be noted that brown rice, germ rice, sprouted rice and parboiled rice have high unsaturated fatty acid content and are easily oxidized and rancid. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the production date and shelf life. When storing, pay attention to low temperature, dryness, and light-proof conditions. It is best to refrigerate or freeze them.

There are many kinds of rice. How to choose the best rice?

Rice is an indispensable staple food for many people in their daily lives. However, in recent years, under the careful packaging of merchants, organic rice, selenium-rich rice, wash-free rice, volcanic rock rice, bamboo nutritious rice, crystal rice and other concept rice have emerged one after another. How to choose good rice is really worrying. Liu Xinqi, a professor at the School of Food Science and Technology of Beijing Technology and Business University, said that except for selenium-rich rice and organic rice that meet the standards, most types of rice have similar nutritional values. The key to choosing is to look at the taste. When choosing "organic rice" or "green rice", you must pay attention to its green food logo and verify it through relevant channels.

Liu Xinqi said that specifically, there are three ways to choose rice: First, take a look. First, check whether the color of the rice grains is uniform, and whether the color, size, and shape are consistent. This can determine whether different varieties of rice are mixed. Generally, rice with a crystal clear appearance has a good starch structure and a good taste, while rice that is not very transparent may have a sticky taste and high water content. Second, smell it. Grab a handful of rice and smell it. If it is new rice, it will have a natural grain fragrance, while old rice that has been stored for a long time is prone to a "rancid smell"; third, shake it. Pick up a handful of rice and slowly pour it out to see if there are broken rice grains or rice with incomplete grains. If there are, it may be over-processed or the rice quality is poor. When buying rice, follow the principle of "buy as much as you eat, buy small amounts frequently", and it is advisable to buy enough for 2 months of consumption.

How to store rice

Store the right amount of rice according to the season. You can adjust the amount of rice in your home according to the season. Generally speaking, in summer, the temperature is high and the air humidity is high. Rice is very susceptible to moisture and mold, making it difficult to store. You should store less rice and eat it as you buy it. In autumn and winter, the temperature is low and the climate is dry. The quality of rice is not easily affected by the environment, so you can store more rice.

Ventilate in time, prevent moisture and heat. Whether it is a supermarket, a vegetable market or a home, the storage of rice in summer should pay attention to moisture and heat insulation, and store it in a cool, dry and ventilated place as much as possible. Specifically, three aspects should be paid attention to: pay attention to moisture, and do not store it together. Because rice has strong hygroscopicity, it should be kept away from moisture and should not be kept together. For example, rice should not be placed against the wall, and it should usually be placed on a pad to prevent moisture; rice should not be stored at the same time as fish, meat, vegetables and other foods with high moisture content, otherwise the rice will absorb water and easily become moldy or worm-infested. Pay attention to heat insulation and stay away from heat sources. In a high temperature environment, rice is prone to heat and mildew, so pay attention to heat insulation and stay away from heat sources. For example, rice should not be stored in the kitchen, because the kitchen has a high temperature and high humidity, which has a great impact on the quality of rice; rice should not be placed next to the stove, because it is too close to the heat source, the rice will heat up and cause quality changes. Pay attention to drying in the shade, and avoid exposure to the sun. If the rice is damp, it should be spread out in a cool and ventilated place to dry and blow through, and avoid exposure to the sun. Because exposure to the sun will cause moisture to dissipate quickly, some particles will break, resulting in a significant reduction in edible quality. If placed back in a humid environment, it will be more susceptible to moisture, mildew, and insects.

Natural hypoxia, scientific insect prevention. There are many historical experiences to prevent rice from getting infested with insects in hot and humid seasons. For example: mix a few heads of dried garlic (garlic food) in a rice bag; or take pepper or fennel, wrap them into several gauze bags, put them into the rice bag and seal it. However, if these methods are used for a long time, the rice will retain a certain smell, which will affect the consumption, and pests will also develop resistance to certain smells, and the expected effect will still not be achieved. So, how can we prevent insects without affecting consumption? According to grain preservation experts, it is difficult for insect eggs to develop into larvae under low oxygen or hypoxia conditions. Therefore, household rice storage can be sealed with plastic film for hypoxia. This natural deoxygenation method can be used to preserve rice, which can achieve insect prevention effects without affecting the edible quality of rice.

Adding some ingredients to rice makes it more nutritious

+ Brown rice helps digestion. Most of the rice we eat in our daily diet is highly processed white rice, which has lost a lot of minerals, B vitamins and dietary fiber. Compared with white rice, brown rice is yellowish in color. It is precisely because of this layer of yellowish bran and germ that brown rice is rich in various vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Adding a handful of brown rice when cooking rice can help digestion, reduce sugar conversion, and is beneficial for controlling blood sugar.

+Purple rice and black rice are good for the spleen and stomach. Purple rice is rich in lysine, tryptophan, vitamin B1 and other nutrients, as well as iron, zinc, calcium and other mineral elements needed by the human body. Adding purple rice when cooking white rice makes it fragrant and sticky, which is helpful for preventing constipation, high blood pressure and high blood lipids. Black rice contains inorganic salts such as manganese, zinc, copper, as well as nutrients such as chlorophyll and anthocyanin. Adding it when cooking rice can strengthen the spleen and stomach, which is suitable for conditioning after illness.

+ Oats protect blood vessels. Oats are rich in dietary fiber and multiple vitamins, and their amino acid composition is relatively reasonable. Oats are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help lower the cholesterol content in human blood and prevent the formation of blood clots. When cooking, use oats to replace part of the rice, and the cooked rice will be stickier and softer. For middle-aged and elderly people, it not only helps intestinal peristalsis, but also better controls blood lipids and protects blood vessel health.

+Red beans control blood sugar. Red beans are rich in potassium and are a typical high-potassium, low-sodium food. Chinese medicine believes that red beans can promote diuresis and eliminate edema. Adding red beans to rice can control blood sugar. However, it is not suitable for patients with chronic kidney disease, uremia, hyperkalemia, etc.

+ Kidney beans prevent three highs. Red kidney beans are a rare high potassium, high magnesium, low sodium food. Eating them with rice has a good health care effect for people with "three highs", arteriosclerosis and other heart diseases. In addition, red kidney beans are rich in anthocyanins and have antioxidant effects. It is important to remind everyone that kidney beans must be cooked at high temperature before they can be eaten, otherwise the lectins in the kidney beans cannot be eliminated, which can easily cause food poisoning.

+Mung beans strengthen immunity. Mung beans can clear away heat and dispel summer heat. Adding them to rice in summer can promote digestion. They are also suitable for people who are prone to getting angry during summer heat. The protein content of mung beans is higher than that of cereals, and its protein is effective in removing heavy metals from the body and can enhance the body's immunity.

+ Sweet potatoes help defecation. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of carotene and dietary fiber, which stimulate intestinal peristalsis and help defecation. If you have been troubled by constipation for a long time, you can try adding sweet potatoes when cooking rice, which helps improve the efficiency of the body's metabolism. However, for people with gastric ulcers, excessive stomach acid, and high blood sugar, it is not advisable to eat too much sweet potatoes at one time or overcook them.