What variety is white rice sold in supermarkets?

[edwardandtubs]

Obviously there's jasmine rice but there's also something unhelpfully called 'white rice' on sale, like this:

 

 

What exactly is this? Is it the same as long grain white rice sold in the UK?

[KhunBENQ]

Can't tell you whether it the same as sold in UK.

But I would call it ordinary long grain milled rice.

Ordinary as ordinary can be.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rice_varieties#Thai_varieties

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_rice

[edwardandtubs]

It's probably the same as American long grain then, which is what I want. The reason I ask is that jasmine rice has a higher glycemic index than normal long grain so I think it should be healthier to switch.

[Suradit69]

On 10/4/2017 at 9:26 PM, edwardandtubs said:

It's probably the same as American long grain then, which is what I want. The reason I ask is that jasmine rice has a higher glycemic index than normal long grain so I think it should be healthier to switch.

Not sure if rice from the US is any more "normal" than other rice varieties especially since America is way down the list of rice consumers. Most American rice that I have had produces a smell that wouldn't be popular in Asian countries.

 

"100% Grade A white," based on the standards set out for Thailand seems to be most concerned with percentages of grain size and type and percentage of broken grain more than anything else.

file:///C:/Users/dell/Desktop/New%20folder%20(2)/pimon_rice%20grading.pdf

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

file:///C:/Users/dell/Desktop/New%20folder%20(2)/pimon_rice%20grading.pdf

That's a link to your harddisk.

Won't work of course.

You could add the pdf to the post.

[Suradit69]

19 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

That's a link to your harddisk.

Won't work of course.

You could add the pdf to the post.

Oops. I unintentionally downloaded it and used that link. 

 

http://www.doa.go.th/aeri/files/pht2009/documents_slide/pimon_rice grading.pdf

 

 

pimon_rice grading.pdf

Edited October 6, 2017 by Suradit69

[brommers]

It is not the same as long grain white rice sold in the UK. It is more glutinous and so the grains will stick together more than American long grains which are a visit bred not to adhere after cooking. Finding such rice is not easy in Thailand.

[Oxx]

On 04/10/2017 at 2:58 PM, edwardandtubs said:

What exactly is this? Is it the same as long grain white rice sold in the UK?

 

It's not going to be the same as in the UK, and it's not going to be long grain.  That's simply not what Thai consumers want.  Most UK long grain rice is imported from America.

 

Thailand has thousands of varieties of rice.  Hom mali is particularly favoured because it's fragrant and soft when cooked.  Other, lesser rices, are typically less fragrant and firmer.  One such rice is Patum Thani which is probably the second most favoured rice in Thailand.  Sometimes it's sold labelled as such, but it also appears as generic white rice.  It's got shorter grains than hom mali, cooks firmer and is less fragrance.  (There have also been problems with unscrupulous traders mixing it with hom mali and passing the mix off as 100% hom mali.)

 

Lesser rices continue the trend of less fragrance, firmer, shorter grains.  Generic white rice is a mixture of these lesser rices.

 

The term "lesser" here is perhaps a bit misleading.  Certain populations prefer their local rice and its characteristics over hom mali.  And indeed, firmer (and older) rices are better for making fried rice.

[geisha]

A good idea in Thailand is to buy a few hundred grams of different rice qualities to try out. You'll soon see which one suits you best.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

The consumption of the types of rice differ between areas as well as according to certain usage. For example we use Thai white rice for making fried rice as this type of rice is more firm and dont become soggy during stir frying. Jasmine rice we eat with curry dishes /normal daily consumption. Sticky rice are eaten with fatty foods such as pork kebabs or as an easy rice dish away from home. This takeaway property of sticky rice makes it popular with working class people such as farmers and builders. Sticky rice is also used in many Thai deserts. In the end eat what you like. Our prefrence is brown Jasmine rice as it has the fragrance but cooks firmer and has higher fiber levels. It is also an versatile rice eaten with curry or stir fried.

[Oxx]

15 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

Sticky rice are eaten with fatty foods such as pork kebabs or as an easy rice dish away from home. This takeaway property of sticky rice makes it popular with working class people such as farmers and builders.

 

Sticky rice is not a normal part of the diet outside the North and North East.  The association with farms and builders really comes from the fact that many of them come from Isaan where sticky rice is the norm.  This isn't a class thing there, but just the usual day-to-day rice for everybody.

 

As for brown rice, that is traditionally associated with convicts: brown rice was served to all prisoners except farangs and hill-tribe peoples.  Many Thai people remain prejudiced against it.  This probably explains why purple rices such as Jasberry are so popular amongst the trendy, its lacking the penal association.

[Laza 45]

On 10/4/2017 at 9:26 PM, edwardandtubs said:

It's probably the same as American long grain then, which is what I want. The reason I ask is that jasmine rice has a higher glycemic index than normal long grain so I think it should be healthier to switch.

...if you want healthy rice with low glycemic index eat 'khao gkong'... brown rice..  'homme mali khao gkong'... brown jasmine.. healthy, smells great.. delicious.. healthy.. but many more varieties available.. most supermarkets have them.. I buy mine at the morning market in our town.. 

[Laza 45]

11 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

Sticky rice is not a normal part of the diet outside the North and North East.  The association with farms and builders really comes from the fact that many of them come from Isaan where sticky rice is the norm.  This isn't a class thing there, but just the usual day-to-day rice for everybody.

 

As for brown rice, that is traditionally associated with convicts: brown rice was served to all prisoners except farangs and hill-tribe peoples.  Many Thai people remain prejudiced against it.  This probably explains why purple rices such as Jasberry are so popular amongst the trendy, its lacking the penal association.

...prisons actually serve up 'red rice'  ..'kow (or khao) mun pboo'..  also a healthy choice.. but associated with prison life..  http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/red-rice

[tryasimight]

My wife knows all about rice as I'm sure many posters wives do. However I find rice of any description to be very bland and tasteless. I don't know how people can on about how delicious rice is. I just use it as a filler for other foods.

I guess a lot of Thai think the same about potatoes.

[Laza 45]

11 hours ago, tryasimight said:

My wife knows all about rice as I'm sure many posters wives do. However I find rice of any description to be very bland and tasteless. I don't know how people can on about how delicious rice is. I just use it as a filler for other foods.

I guess a lot of Thai think the same about potatoes.

Try Homme malie khao gkong.. Jasmine brown rice.. smells great.. delicious..

 

[edwardandtubs]

On 06/10/2017 at 3:56 PM, brommers said:

It is not the same as long grain white rice sold in the UK. It is more glutinous and so the grains will stick together more than American long grains which are a visit bred not to adhere after cooking. Finding such rice is not easy in Thailand.

 

On 06/10/2017 at 4:00 PM, Oxx said:

 

Thailand has thousands of varieties of rice.  Hom mali is particularly favoured because it's fragrant and soft when cooked.  Other, lesser rices, are typically less fragrant and firmer.  One such rice is Patum Thani which is probably the second most favoured rice in Thailand.  Sometimes it's sold labelled as such, but it also appears as generic white rice.  It's got shorter grains than hom mali, cooks firmer and is less fragrance.  (There have also been problems with unscrupulous traders mixing it with hom mali and passing the mix off as 100% hom mali.)

 

Lesser rices continue the trend of less fragrance, firmer, shorter grains.  Generic white rice is a mixture of these lesser rices.

 

Good information. It seems that all white Thai rice is going to have a high GI due to Thai consumers' preference for more glutinous strains.

[ChrisKC]

On 10/6/2017 at 10:42 PM, tryasimight said:

My wife knows all about rice as I'm sure many posters wives do. However I find rice of any description to be very bland and tasteless. I don't know how people can on about how delicious rice is. I just use it as a filler for other foods.

I guess a lot of Thai think the same about potatoes.

You are right about rice being bland. Most Thai people use a rice cooker and rice is often served up a day old having sat in the pot and not in the fridge. I never use a rice cooker. I make my own and add a little salt, a generous knob of butter, some turmeric and depending on the other accompaniments, some fresh coriander leaves(cilantro). I buy basmati rice for curries and the best jasmine rice I can find for other dishes.  It seems expensive at more than B100 per kilo but per serving, hopelessly cheap.

[Oxx]

I hope this isn't too far off topic:

 

When I first moved to Thailand I bought a cheap rice cooker, perhaps 300 baht.  It served me well for well over a decade, but the cooked rice was pappy, and a lot of it was wasted, stuck to the thin aluminium cooking pot.

 

Then about a year ago, on a whim, I bought a rather more expensive Toshiba cooker, costing around 2,500 baht.  It has a heavy ceramic pot and rice never sticks.  (I've almost saved the cost of the cooker in the rice not wasted.)  It cooks slowly (around 50 minutes), but the rice grains come out separate and still keep a texture.  There's a timer so you can set when you want the rice to be ready in advance, and when cooking display gives a countdown during the last few minutes.

 

The cooker also has loads of other functions (quick cook for white rice, mixed rice, cook soup, reheat food, ferment, even bake bread).

 

I'd heartily recommend such a cooker to anyone.  Well worth the investment.

[Laza 45]

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

I hope this isn't too far off topic:

 

When I first moved to Thailand I bought a cheap rice cooker, perhaps 300 baht.  It served me well for well over a decade, but the cooked rice was pappy, and a lot of it was wasted, stuck to the thin aluminium cooking pot.

 

Then about a year ago, on a whim, I bought a rather more expensive Toshiba cooker, costing around 2,500 baht.  It has a heavy ceramic pot and rice never sticks.  (I've almost saved the cost of the cooker in the rice not wasted.)  It cooks slowly (around 50 minutes), but the rice grains come out separate and still keep a texture.  There's a timer so you can set when you want the rice to be ready in advance, and when cooking display gives a countdown during the last few minutes.

 

The cooker also has loads of other functions (quick cook for white rice, mixed rice, cook soup, reheat food, ferment, even bake bread).

 

I'd heartily recommend such a cooker to anyone.  Well worth the investment.

Good one... we waste a lot of rice around here..  I didn't know that there is a better way..  Thanks..

[impulse]

On 10/7/2017 at 10:44 AM, Laza 45 said:

On 10/6/2017 at 11:42 PM, tryasimight said:

My wife knows all about rice as I'm sure many posters wives do. However I find rice of any description to be very bland and tasteless. I don't know how people can on about how delicious rice is. I just use it as a filler for other foods.

I guess a lot of Thai think the same about potatoes.

Try Homme malie khao gkong.. Jasmine brown rice.. smells great.. delicious..

 

I'm in closer agreement with tryasimight. 

 

Sure, there are differences in rices, but I've found that those are dwarfed by the difference between cooking it one minute longer or one minute less, or cooking it in bottled water vs tap water and how much water I add, and the difference made by adding salt, olive oil, butter, or spices- whether in the cooking water or after it's been cooked.  To me, it seems silly to pay 5x as much for a rice that's so marginally better- especially since I'm probably going to fry it or slather it with sauces anyway. 

 

But then, like tryasimight, I look at rice as a cheap filler material.  And like ChrisKC stated, on a per serving basis- it's only a few satang more.

 

[Laza 45]

9 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I'm in closer agreement with tryasimight. 

 

Sure, there are differences in rices, but I've found that those are dwarfed by the difference between cooking it one minute longer or one minute less, or cooking it in bottled water vs tap water and how much water I add, and the difference made by adding salt, olive oil, butter, or spices- whether in the cooking water or after it's been cooked.  To me, it seems silly to pay 5x as much for a rice that's so marginally better- especially since I'm probably going to fry it or slather it with sauces anyway. 

 

But then, like tryasimight, I look at rice as a cheap filler material.  And like ChrisKC stated, on a per serving basis- it's only a few satang more.

 

I pay 50 Bt for a kilo of brown jasmine rice at the local market.. not 5x as much.. 20 Bt a kilo more than white jasmine..  but price isn't really an issue for me.. I like the taste & flavor.. and it is a much healthier choice than white rice.. besides the benefits of the bran.. vitamins, minerals, fiber etc brown rice is much slower to metabolize...   giving a smoother profile to blood sugar levels.. white rice is poison to anyone with high blood sugar levels or diabetes  ... if you don't care about taste, flavor or health benefits go for the white rice..  My wife likes a mixture of cassette & jasmine.... 2 cassette to 1 jasmine..  you get the flavor & aroma  of jasmine  and a better texture than plain jasmine.. and cassette generally is cheaper ....different strokes for different folks.. all depends on what you like..

[impulse]

12 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

I pay 50 Bt for a kilo of brown jasmine rice at the local market.. not 5x as much..

 

It's great that you've found one that you like for a reasonable premium.  But there are rice varieties for 5x as much as the cheapest. 

[Laza 45]

10 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

It's great that you've found one that you like for a reasonable premium.  But there are rice varieties for 5x as much as the cheapest. 

..best to buy at the rice stalls at the  local market rather than the big supermarkets..  there are many unusual varieties and some grown organically that fetch a premium price.. I'm happy with the 'khao gkong' in the markets..  

[Khun Klahan]

Today I bought rice for ฿23 per kilo at a store where the seller has lots of different varieties in 25/50 kilo bags for sale. There are several dependable what kind sticky or white, hom Mali, etc opened to show the rice and priced on them. 

 

I don’t know what rice I bought just looked at the price, but I know the difference between sticky and normal rice. That’s for sure. Haven’t tried it out yet but bought previously a cheapest bag of 1kg white rice at terço lotus and was not really happy about it...it was tasteless more for to use for frying.

[Laza 45]

1 hour ago, Khun Klahan said:

Today I bought rice for ฿23 per kilo at a store where the seller has lots of different varieties in 25/50 kilo bags for sale. There are several dependable what kind sticky or white, hom Mali, etc opened to show the rice and priced on them. 

 

I don’t know what rice I bought just looked at the price, but I know the difference between sticky and normal rice. That’s for sure. Haven’t tried it out yet but bought previously a cheapest bag of 1kg white rice at terço lotus and was not really happy about it...it was tasteless more for to use for frying.

...often rice that is very cheap is old rice.. or rice that has a lot of broken rice grains.. old rice doesn't cook up as well and sometimes has very small bugs in it.. they can be removed by placing the rice on a tray and setting out in the hot sun for awhile..  broken rice is mostly used for 'khao thom'.. rice soup..  get a Thai to go rice shopping with you and explain the differences in price and quality.. I am learning very slowly by making mistakes that my wife points out.. :-)

[Khun Klahan]

On 10/11/2017 at 4:28 AM, Laza 45 said:

...often rice that is very cheap is old rice.. or rice that has a lot of broken rice grains.. old rice doesn't cook up as well and sometimes has very small bugs in it.. they can be removed by placing the rice on a tray and setting out in the hot sun for awhile..  broken rice is mostly used for 'khao thom'.. rice soup..  get a Thai to go rice shopping with you and explain the differences in price and quality.. I am learning very slowly by making mistakes that my wife points out.. :-)

Thanks, but I better can ask my sister. We got a rice farm thus they would know the best.

[BadCash]

Was recently looking in Tesco for a plain white rice (what I guess would typically be parboiled basmati rice where I'm from). 

 

Couldn't find any - only a bunch of jasmine, brown rice and riceberry. However, there was one bag that was labelled something like "35% white rice", and it looked like white rice. But I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the other 65% of the contents where - or does the "35%" refer to something completely different? 

[chickenslegs]

1 minute ago, BadCash said:

Was recently looking in Tesco for a plain white rice (what I guess would typically be parboiled basmati rice where I'm from). 

 

Couldn't find any - only a bunch of jasmine, brown rice and riceberry. However, there was one bag that was labelled something like "35% white rice", and it looked like white rice. But I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the other 65% of the contents where - or does the "35%" refer to something completely different? 

I'm not certain, but I think the 35% refers to the amount of broken grains.

[Laza 45]

3 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

I'm not certain, but I think the 35% refers to the amount of broken grains.

I just had a chat with my wife about this.. she says that the 35% refers to a blend of old rice and new rice..  in a 35% blend you are getting 35% new good rice and 65% of old rice...  when it says 'white rice' it is most likely cassette.. not hom-malie.. (jasmine)...  sometimes you will see 10% or 15%..  this is mostly old rice... 1..2 or even 3 years old.. and sometimes with small insects in it because of the age... the rice loses its quality as it ages... the old saying is true.. 'you get what you pay for'... if it is really cheap it is poor quality..   We normally use 100% new hom-malie... between 32 and 35 Bt a kilo here at the moment...  unless you are really trying to economize the best way to go.. I think.  Sometimes my wife will buy  1 kilo of hom-malie and 2 of cassette and mix them .. always new rice.. a bit cheaper and she likes the texture better than pure hom-malie.. and you still get the fragrance..     ..another tip.. if your old rice has small black insects it it.. not uncommon... spread it out on a tray in the hot sun.. the bugs soon go away..  always rinse your rice a couple of times before cooking..  I hope this helps...

[BadCash]

2 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

I just had a chat with my wife about this.. she says that the 35% refers to a blend of old rice and new rice..  in a 35% blend you are getting 35% new good rice and 65% of old rice...  when it says 'white rice' it is most likely cassette.. not hom-malie.. (jasmine)...  sometimes you will see 10% or 15%..  this is mostly old rice... 1..2 or even 3 years old.. and sometimes with small insects in it because of the age... the rice loses its quality as it ages... the old saying is true.. 'you get what you pay for'... if it is really cheap it is poor quality..   We normally use 100% new hom-malie... between 32 and 35 Bt a kilo here at the moment...  unless you are really trying to economize the best way to go.. I think.  Sometimes my wife will buy  1 kilo of hom-malie and 2 of cassette and mix them .. always new rice.. a bit cheaper and she likes the texture better than pure hom-malie.. and you still get the fragrance..     ..another tip.. if your old rice has small black insects it it.. not uncommon... spread it out on a tray in the hot sun.. the bugs soon go away..  always rinse your rice a couple of times before cooking..  I hope this helps...

This sounds implausible - I would be very surprised if a commercial retail packaged plastic bag of rice in Tesco contains 65% "old" rice! 

 

Sounds more plausible that it would be the percentage of broken rice. I did some more googling and found that mills indeed seem to usually specify the quality of the rice as a percentage of broken rice, ex. http://www.parboilrice.com/whiterice35broken.html

 

Never seen this where I'm from though... maybe that rice is so broken it's better not to print it on the package ?

Edited November 23, 2017 by BadCash