Rice is nice.

I really like the rices packaged by a company called, I think, Lotus foods.

It's expensive, but oh, so good. They package a red bhutan rice, a black "forbidden" rice, and a small white italian rice.

Here's a link for the red rice, will be back with more.

I went out for Indian lunch buffet with a friend yesterday.
They had a really good basmati rice - that wasn't stuck together at all - all individual rice grains. She wasn't used to rice prepared like that - had to adjust to it.

Chinese restos tend to serve a type of rice that sticks together more - which is all right when I'm having Chinese food - but I prefer the individual grains.

Sorry, no link in my last post -

here's the lotus foods link; click on the bags of rice for more about them...

http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/lotus/home.d2w/report

Basmati rice is pretty good. It generally costs a bit more...you will pay less at a bulk food store.

I use different rice sorts for different dishes.
Risotto rice- round grain
Basmati - for Indian/ Pakistani dishes
Wild rice - long, black and brown grains going with meat
just rice for stuffing vegetables.
Except risotto and milk rice dishes the rice shouldn't stick together for my taste.

Ooh, those lotus rice links have lots of recipes...

some rices are stickier than others, more surface starch I think... I seem to remember rinsing japanese cal-rose rice.

When I think about it -- I don't like rice that sticks together when eating Mexican food. When I cook it at home I never really serve rice with it though.

When I have rice as a side dish I like it to be clumpy.

Tonight I'm making gumbo and I like my rice to be clumpy for gumbo but for lighter soups seperate is better.

I might need to stock my pantry with some of these other varieties.

Thank you all for your rice advice!

I prefer brown rice because its got more tooth to it. For white rice I like Jasmine rice. I think that is the typical Chinese restaurant rice. It's quite soft and a little sticky.

Oh yeah! Brown rice is great. Besides the fact that it is marketed as a healthier alternative* it really does taste great. I like the chewier texture - the white rice I buy is kind of like brown rice in that regard.

*My Asian neighbors (lots of them) think that the current aversion to white rice as being unhealthful is the funniest thing they've ever heard.

I sooooooooo wish someone at a2k would try the Red Bhutanese rice sometime... it's texture is wonderful and taste is wonderful..

I will look for it, I promise, osso.

Is it packaged by Lotus foods? I know I see their products at the grocery. We also have a huge Japanese supermarket here that sells a million kinds of rice.

What would be ideal to serve with Red Bhutanese rice?

Yes, Boomer, lotus foods. They have it at my co-op...

The link where I posted above has a photo of about six types of rice in packages. Click on each of the "bags" to see appropriate recipes for the different rices.. I think the Bhutan red is second from the left - just the titles of the recipes have got me going...

I live in Podunk, Osso. I'll look for it the next time I go to the big city, though.

I sort of live in Podunk too, but the company is more local to me. I hear that Whole Foods carries their stuff.

I use the Mahatma line. White, saffron, wild and dirty.

Ooh, there's a great idea for a new rice mix, eoe. "Wild and dirty rice"!

I only use white rice for jambalaya. Other than that I cook brown rice because I like the texture.

As to ideal with red rice? mmm, a steak?

I don't eat all so much meat any more.. but it is good with steak, which I crave when it is cold and rainy..

I have toyed with the red rice a bit, using red onion, and red chard, and hot spicy sausage. I wouldn't call it delicate, it is sort of there, in your face. It would probably hold up to veggies with character, like broccoli..
I started a thread on it some time ago, hoping people would post ideas of what would go with it, but I guess no one had experience with it.

I'm more into our coastal fish these days, since I am probably moving inland and want to take advantage while I'm here. So tonight I had plain dreamy fresh halibut (marsala and lemon and capers and garlic and olive oil) with a plate of fresh roasted sweet red peppers... no rice or potatoes or noodles. Man, that's good.

What's a good rice to use to make fried rice?

Anybody know? I'm thinking jasmine..