Grains
Brown Rice
More water and twice the time of white. Rest it off the heat before the lid comes off.
Ingredient reference image: AI-generated. Recipe photography is my own.
In the kitchen
Under heat
The bran layer slows water absorption, which is the entire reason it needs more liquid and more time than white rice.
Against air
Uncooked, the intact bran and germ mean it goes rancid faster than white rice — buy it in quantities you'll use within a few months.
In storage
Refrigerate or freeze it if you're not going through it quickly; the oils in the bran are the weak point.
At the shop
Short and long grain cook differently — short grain turns sticky, long grain stays separate. Pick by what you’re making, not habit.
Which variety, for what
- Short grain
- Higher starch, cooks up sticky — better for dishes that want the grains to cling together.
- Long grain
- Lower starch, cooks up separate and fluffy — the standard side-dish rice.