Rice glossary

Brown rice Rice with the hulls removed but not milled. Most of the nutrients (thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, iron, calcium, protein and small amounts of fats) have been retained.   Basmati rice A fragrant long grained rice with a nutty flavour originating in the foothills of the Himalayas.   Black rice A medium-grain unmilled rice with a black bran. It has a nutty flavour with a whole grain texture.   Cereal Seeds of flowering plants of the grass family cultivated for the food value of their grains, e.g., rice, wheat, sorghum, maize, oat, barley, rye, and millet.   Drying Drying is the process that reduces grain moisture content to a safe level for storage. It may be sun dried - Rice is spread out to remove moisture before it is stored.   Glutinous rice Also known as sticky rice, because it is the grains stick together. It is sweet and fragrant.   Harvesting Harvesting of paddy includes cutting, stacking, handling, threshing, cleaning and hauling of paddy.   Integrated Pest Management (IPM) An ecological approach to managing pests which minimises the use of pesticides to minimise risks to the environment and human health. Farmers are trained to observe and learn about the ecology of their fields and as a result make and implement decisions which are safe, productive and sustainable.   Jasmine rice Also widely known as Thai fragrant rice, because its long grains give off a jasmine fragrance when cooked.   Milling Separating the husk and bran from the paddy or rough rice and polishing grains.   Rice paddy The wet rice field or the rough brown unhulled rice.   Red rice A long-grain unmilled rice with a red bran grown in India.   Staple Food which forms the major part of the food a particular group of people eat.   Storing Rice needs to be stored carefully so it is available for food all year round. It needs to be protected from going mouldy and pests (insects and rodents) eating it.   Terrace A raised bank of earth having vertical or sloping sides and a flat top: turning a hillside into a series of ascending terraces for farming.   Threshing Separating rice seeds from stalks and husks (chaff).   White rice Rice which has had the hull and bran removed. It lacks its original nutrients but it cooks faster and stores better.   Winnowing Blowing away the light-weight chaff from the heavier seeds.