I always keep different varieties of rice on hand for different recipes and purposes. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of different rice varieties. This is just a general outline of some of the ones that come to mind as I’m typing.
Starchy
Rice is a starchy grain, and different varieties of rice have different ratios of the two primary polysaccharides that make up a starch: amylose and amylopectin. These different ratios dictate how the rice cooks (fluffy vs. sticky) and how the finished product will work in a recipe. I’m not a food scientist or a chemist, so this is pretty much the extent of my scientific knowledge on the subject. It’s not really important, from a practical standpoint, to know the precise ratios–or even which polysaccharide is responsible for what outcome. The good news is that grain size is almost always a solid indicator of how the rice will cook.
Fluffy vs. Sticky
As a general rule, the longer the grain of rice, the fluffier it cooks up. When cooked, long grain rice doesn’t tend to stick, but separates out into individual grains. Medium grain rice is generally used in dishes like sushi and has the traditional stickiness that is associated with that dish. Short grain rice varieties can get really sticky, but can also be coaxed into slowly releasing their starches to form a sauce, as is the case with risotto or paella.
In My Pantry
This is what I normally have stocked in my pantry and how I use it.
Basmati
Basmati is a long grain rice that you can find either aged or not aged. The aging process will darken the grain, making it golden, instead of white. The purpose behind aging is to completely dry out the grain and lock in the starches, to ensure it cooks up fluffy and not sticky. Basmati is very aromatic, compared to most other common rice varieties, with a distinct “leafy” or “vegetal” smell. Basmati is commonly paired with Indian/Pakistani/Himalayan/Sri Lankan food. I also use it with gumbo and jambalaya, because it pairs well. See popcorn rice below.
Jasmine
Jasmine is another long grain rice. It is very common in Thai food, Vietnamese food and Cambodian food. In the US, it’s commonly used by Chinese restaurants, though it might not be traditionally used in China. Jasmine rice is slightly stickier than Basmati, but still not a very sticky rice. Leftover Jasmine rice is my go-to for fried rice. It gives off enough starch that, when refrigerated, lends itself to absorbing liquid when stir fried, but still maintains individual grain integrity.
Basic Long-Grain
This is the stuff you find in the grocery store, in a bag labeled “Long Grain Rice”. It’s generic rice that doesn’t have much flavor, but cooks up similarly enough to Basmati and Jasmine to be a functional substitute. Morgan doesn’t like the flavor of Jasmine rice, so when I cook Chinese food, I generally cook a 1:1 ratio of basic long grain and Jasmine rice.
Calrose
Calrose is a medium grain rice first developed in California, but has many of the qualities of traditional Japanese rice. It’s sticky enough to be molded, but not as sticky as Thai sticky rice, which is almost homogenous. When preparing Japanese dishes, I exclusively use Calrose. It’s perfect for sushi, musubi, poke or paired with natto. It’s not so great for fried rice, because it tends to stay sticky, even when refrigerated.
Japanese Sweet Rice
Japanese sweet rice is a short grained rice that is readily available at Asian markets. I’ll admit, honestly, that I have never used it in a Japanese recipe, and I’m not entirely sure where it is used appropriately in that context. However, it is great for risotto and a fraction of the cost of arborio rice. If you’re on a budget, or just not interested in sourcing your rice from multiple markets, sweet rice is a solid replacement for arborio. Same goes for paella. Purists will gasp, but sweet rice functions similarly enough in paella recipes to be an adequate replacement for short grain Spanish rice.
Occasionally on Hand
Arborio
If I come across a good deal on arborio rice, I’m not above buying it. Maybe my palate is limited, but I’ve never tasted the difference in a finished risotto to convince me that I NEED arborio (as many risotto recipes will attest), but if I find it at a reasonable price, I will pick some up.
Brown
Brown rice is the same as white rice, but with the bran intact. The bran contains a lot of fiber, which makes it great for dietary purposes, but also a lot of unsaturated fats, which makes it terrible for shelf stability. Brown rice has an earthier flavor than white rice, but is nutritionally more dense. Because the bran has a lot of unsaturated fats, it absorbs other flavors and compounds which can render the fats rancid and unpalatable. Buy it in small amounts and use it within a few weeks.
Brown rice takes longer to cook–up to twice as long–because the water needs to penetrate the bran before it can start rehydrating the grain. Otherwise, it follows the same functional outcome as white rice: long grain is fluffy; short grain is sticky.
Not Worth the Effort
Heirloom
There are some artisanal companies dedicated to the proliferation of heirloom rice varieties in the US. On the one hand, I applaud their dedication to maintaining crop diversity and ensuring that our diets don’t become dominated by monocultural farming techniques. On the other hand, these rice varieties are subjectively, ludicrously expensive, without any noticeable benefit. In my opinion, Carolina Gold rice doesn’t taste remarkably different from more commonly available–and more reasonably priced–rice. If you are in a position to support these farms, feel free to do so. But, don’t buy into the hype that these rice varieties are somehow demonstrably superior to what you can buy in the store.
Uncle Ben’s/Ben’s Original
Uncle Ben’s is the older, more racially insensitive name of the product now known as Ben’s Original. Ben’s Original is a parboiled rice product, where the rice has been partially cooked, then dehydrated for shelf stability. The process infuses the rice with some of the nutritional value of the bran, while creating a product that is easy to prepare. The trade off is that it lacks the flavor and preparation diversity of other varieties. For the price, there are better rice options you can buy.
Other Rice
Popcorn
The traditional rice for Cajun and Creole food is a short grain rice known as popcorn rice. I’ve only ever encountered this while in New Orleans, as part of dishes that I got in restaurants. I can’t honestly speak to it, until I have an opportunity to get some that I can cook myself. Until then, I can say that it’s worth exploring, if you have the chance. Otherwise, I don’t feel like my experience using Basmati as a substitute has been substandard.
Glutinous Rice
Glutinous rice is very similar to (and in some cases the same thing as) sweet rice. It is a short grain rice that has a lot of glutinous properties due to its starch content. It is used it a ton of recipes and processes, including the production of rice flour that is used to make mochi; the base for rice cakes (ddeok) in Korean food; sweetened and used with red bean paste as a dessert.