The Rice Grain

Rice is a member of the grass family and is related to other grass plants such as wheat, oats and barley which produce grain for food. These are known as cereals. Rice is an annual plant, which means it completes its entire life cycle within a year. 

Rice plants start their life as tiny rice grains sown in irrigated fields, and grow to become green, grassy plants about one meter tall. Each plant contains many heads full of tiny rice grains which turn golden when the rice plant is ready to harvest.


Source:
The Workbook Series - Rice Book, Kondinin Group 2000
Ricegrowers Limited - Sunrice


A CLOSER LOOK AT RICE GRAIN

Rice milling

Rice is harvested from rice plant in form of seed called paddy, consisting of husk, bran, germ and starch. This starch part is what we consume as rice.

To get from paddy to rice needed to pass through several steps: 

Rice Types

Rough Rice
Also known as paddy rice, the rough rice kernels are still encased in an inedible, protective hull, which must be removed.

Rice Hulls
The outer covering or husk layer that encloses the rice kernel. The hulls can be recycled and used in electrical co-generation.

Brown Rice
Paddy that has undergone husking process or the husk has been removed. Husk is the outermost covering of the rice grain that provides protection to the rice caryopsis composed of lemma and palea.

Rice Bran
The outer layer on brown rice and an excellent source of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and fiber.

Milled White Rice
Rice obtained after milling the husked rice which includes removing all or part of the bran and germ from the husked rice. Average length full size kernel shall not be less than 6.50mm, with a length/width ratio not less than 3.0.

Large Broken Rice
Fragment of kernel, the length of which is less than three-quarters but greater than one-half of the average length of the corresponding whole kernel. 

Small Broken Rice
Fragment of kernel, the length of which is less than or equal to one-quarter of the average length of the corresponding whole kernel but which does not pass through a metal sieve with round perforations 1.4 mm in diameter. 

Rice Flour
Produced by milling broken or milled rice. Finely ground rice flour is widely used in infant foods and in noodles. It is not used in bread because it lacks the necessary gluten-forming protein. 





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