Brown Rice

Brown rice has a lovely, slightly-nutty taste and a chewy texture that is really nice, though it won’t fluff up quite as much as white rice will, and won’t get quite as tender.

Brown rice is rice that has had the hull removed (which is inedible), but not been polished to make it white. That means that it still has its bran around it, and its germ, which is what makes it brown.

You can get Quick Brown Rice which takes 15 minutes, and sometimes you will see Instant Brown Rice, which takes 10 minutes to cook.

Brown rice can come in long, medium or short grains.

Cooking Tips

Brown rice will take about twice as long to cook as white rice — so, allow about 30 minutes on the stovetop as opposed to 15.

Microwave (700 W power): Combine 1 cup of rice (11 oz / 200 g) with 2 cups (16 oz / 500 ml) of water and a pinch or two of salt to taste. Zap in microwave until water starts to boil, then cook at half power for 32 minutes. Let sit in microwave for 5 to 10 minutes after that, and serve.

How much brown rice to cook

To end up with:

• 100 g (1/2 cup) of cooked brown rice: start with 50 g (1/4 cup) of uncooked brown rice
• 200 g (1 cup) of cooked brown rice: start with 100 g (1/2 cup) of uncooked brown rice

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2015 – 2020 edition, Appendix 3), a serving of brown rice is 1/2 cup (100 g) cooked. Some people dispute how realistic that is in the real world, and say at least a cup (200g) is closer to reality.

See also the entry on Rice for how much white rice to cook.

Nutrition

8% protein. Good source of iron, calcium, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin.

Equivalents

Same as for rice in general.

Storage Hints

Like whole wheat, brown rice can go rancid because of the protein in its bran. Use within six months, or refrigerate for up to a year. Store in a cool place if possible.