What is the difference between basmati rice and regular rice (both the brown and white versions)?
Basmati rice is a unique species of rice originating from India. Just like all species of rice, basmati is available in white or brown versions, depending on the extent of the milling process. Like jasmine rice, it has its own unique smell. In the case of basmati, this smell is due to the presence of a chemical called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which is found in basmati rice at about 90 parts per billion. That's about 12 times more than in other types of rice, giving basmati its special aroma. Brown basmati rice is comparable to other types of brown rice in nutrient content (although it does contain about 20% more fiber compared to most other types of brown rice), and white basmati rice is comparable to other types of white rice. To understand more about the difference between brown basmati rice and white basmati rice, let's look at the difference between brown and white rice in general.
An important first question to ask about all rice-and for that matter, most foods-is how much it has been processed. In the case of rice, processing usually involves milling and polishing. The outermost layer of rice, called the hull, is removed to make brown rice. Brown rice is rice with the whole kernel intact and the kernel is still surrounded by all layers of bran.
To produce white rice, the bran layers of the rice have to be milled off. Most of the rice germ is also removed during this abrasive grinding process. At this point in the process the rice is called milled, unpolished white rice. Finally, a wire brush machine is used to remove the aleurone layer that remains on the rice. This step is called polishing. As polishing is not an all-or-nothing process, semi-polished rice may still contain parts of its aleurone layer.
The bran, germ, and aleurone layers of rice contain most of the fat content found in rice and are the source of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E as well as many other nutrients. If the high-fat components of the rice grain are left intact, the shelf life of the rice greatly declines; this is partly the motivation for manufacturers to remove the bran, germ, and aleurone layers of rice, although this process reduces its nutritional value.
There is a processing technique called conversion that results in "converted rice." Converted rice is produced by steaming the whole grain before milling, causing some of the B vitamins to migrate from the outside layers into the starchy center of the rice (called the endosperm). This process leaves some B vitamins inside the converted rice even though the manufacturers remove the outside layers. Yet, this version is still not your best choice; the most nutritious rice is always whole grain, minimally milled, and unpolished (or semi-polished)-whether it be basmati, jasmine, or "regular" rice-with its outer layers intact as you want a rice to feature its bran and germ when you enjoy it so that you can enjoy greater health benefits.
A good article regarding one of my favourite sources of clean carbs on a vegetarian bodybuilding diet. Right through to competition time this is a staple.
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