Data source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 169756 (Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched).
Fun facts
- White rice is brown rice with the bran and germ milled away. That makes it whiter, quicker to cook and softer, but some fiber leaves along with the coat.
- 100g of raw rice gives about 365 kcal, 80g of carbs, 7.1g of protein and under 1g of fat. Cooked, those 100g swell into roughly 2 bowls of rice, because the grains soak up a lot of water.
- White rice has lost its bran, so it keeps only about 0.8mg of iron per 100g of dry rice. That is why the rest of the meal, meat, fish and greens, matters for iron.
- Put cooked rice in the fridge and its starch packs back together, forming a little resistant starch. It is real, just smaller than many people think.
Choosing and storing
Good rice has even, translucent grains, few broken bits and a light fragrance, with no musty smell. Grab a handful: if you see lots of bran dust or weevils, pick another bag. At home, keep rice in a sealed bin or container somewhere cool and dry, away from the stove and sunlight. Buying only a few weeks' worth at a time keeps that fresh-rice aroma longer.
Cooking it well
Rinse rice gently one or two times; scrubbing hard washes away some of the B vitamins on the surface. New-crop rice usually needs a little less water than older rice, so adjust for your bag. Fluff the rice once it is done so steam escapes and the grains stay separate. Curious why cold rice differs from hot rice? Read our piece on cold rice and resistant starch. At kOBE, our White Rice is cooked and then frozen in 200g packs, with about 130 kcal and 28g of carbs per 100g.
