why, when brown rice is deliciously nutty and white rice has all the flavour of glutinous wallpaper....?

Question

do 99% of people insist on buying the white rubbish.

and is it the same in india and the far east?

Answer 1

Long grain white rice is not glutinous. You're either not cooking it correctly or using the wrong white rice. Risotto rice is glutinous. Try picking up long grain white rice with chopsticks! Basmati rice, which is also white, when cooked properly, can be eaten with the fingers.
Admittedly I have never tried eating glutinous wallpaper, not with a knife and fork, chopsticks or my fingers, but I suspect the taste bears no resemblance to any form of rice, white or brown, if the rice is properly cooked. I venture to suggest that glutinous wallpaper might taste worse than rice - even if the rice is badly cooked. That's two sizzling beef and two portions of glutinous wall paper please. (Don't know what the numbers are - (2 -99s and 2 disgusting 33s?)

Yes, it is the same in India and East Asia.

I think it was Peter Sellars who said, 'He who eats brown rice will sit long and think hard, three or four times a day.' Possibly in the film he made with Sophia Loren - 'The Millionairess'

Answer 2

Because people buy what's readily available, and it's mostly white rice! Perhaps the colour puts them off too, subconsciously thinking that white is better because it is associated with being pure?

I come from South East Asia and have backpacked all around India, and no one has ever served me brown rice, so this thing goes back a long way!

Milling is the process that creates the difference between brown and white rice. The variety of rice may be identical, but milling removes the husk from the grain and turns the brown rice to white. This is why milling is often called "whitening".

By removing the outer layer, which is also known as the bran layer, milling alters the nutritional value of the rice. It is in this bran layer where most of the nutrients are stored.

I agree with you that brown rice is tastier, with the added benefit of being more nutritional, but the answer to your question lies in my son's reaction when I served him up some brown rice -

"No mummy, I don't want that - it looks like pooh!" He's only 5 and that was his immediate reaction!

Answer 3

taste and texture makes all the difference to everyone. We all have different taste.
I personally like the flavor of brown rice, but do not care for the texture at all, not to mention the amount of time it takes to cook. I would rather get healthy grains in my diet through other means.
As far as white rice goes, I like that too, but it depends on the kind you get and how you cook it. Short grain rice can taste very gelatinous if you don't rinse off the starch.. However, long grain white rice is less starchy and tastes more dry when cooked,, and can taste so fabulous depending how you choose to prepare it..
I prefer long grain white rice over any.
All rice is very versatile, but white is more affordable, and goes farther in my opinion.

Answer 4

White rice has been through a process almost like washing that removes some very important parts. these parts protect the rice - which is why it takes longer to cook brown rice. these parts add not only fiber and other goodies but flavor. they also keep the natural flavor of rice inside where it belongs - waiting to be released in the cooking. good good good!

Answer 5

Most people find brown rice a little "heavy". I have it from time to time in some dishes that benefit from it. The white is "polished" brown as I understand it, but I dont agree with the rubbish bit .

When I've been in India, brown was not on offer. It's their staple food. so there you go..

Answer 6

Some time after one of the wars, either one or two (I wasn't around so I can't say for sure) our whole silly world decided everything was better WHITE. Refined white rice. Refined white flour. Refined white sugar.

Decades later we discover that altering these simple foods makes them toxic to us.

Most people are aware of this but we've been so brainwashed to believe that white is better - white equals clean - white equals fresh - that we still buy the lie.

Answer 7

I prefer brown rice personally

I give the two youngest kids in my family which are my natural children brown rice and my husband and his two kids white because they won't even try brown rice

stupid hey

Answer 8

good point, which would fall into the same category as why people like white bread which is tasteless and gets all soaky and mushy when rye is so much better tasting and doesn't get all mushy. Reason: different people different tastes.

Answer 9

no idea
a lot of people don't know theres an alternative
and it may be cheaper (?)
and in sri lanka when i went we were offered all sorts of rice but white was no particular favourite like it is here

Answer 10

brown rice is much healthier and all natural. The white stuff is more artificial