Rice

The most widely cultivated cereal in the world after wheat. Many varieties divide broadly into long grains (such as Patna, Basmati, Surinam) which tend to stay separate when cooked and short grain (Carolina, Arborio, Piedmont) which tend to stick together. Versatile and used in innumerable dishes rice is the staple diet of a large proportion of the world's population. Rice can be cooked either on the stove (risotto, steamed, plain boiled), in the oven (Pilaff) or in a rice cooker. Generally speaking rice is cooked 1:2 rice:liquid by volume to achieve full absorption of the water or stock. For Risotto the ratio is 1:3 rice:liquid and the result is a moist creamy mixture. For details of different rice varieties