🚀 go-pugleaf

markd@csl.sj.nec.com (Mark Dyer) writes:

>I think that the rice used in Uncle Ben's comes from Arkansas or
>Louisiana or maybe Texas. It is genuine "American" style rice. No wonder
>rice isn't very popular over here! :-)

I don't have any idea where Uncle Ben's comes from but for sure it's
long grain, non-glutenous rice.

>There are several different brands of "California" rice for sale in
>Japanese (and other Asian) Grociers here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
>I personally prefer Nishiki. But I think most of them are grown in the
>Central Valley area of California.

That's my impression also. I lived up near the California-Oregon
border for a couple of years and I can remember driving past the rice
fields on Route 5.

>My understanding is that rices stickiness is related to it's gluten
>content. Mochi rice has lots of gluten. I think maybe Uncle Ben's has a
>negative amount so that the individual grains actually repel each other.
>Is it possible that soaking the rice breaks down the gluten?

Yes, I think so. Mochi rice has the most gluten while Uncle Ben's
(and maybe all long-grain rice) doesn't. 

I'm not sure what the purpose of soaking the rice is, and different
people reported soaking it for various times. IMHO it changes
the texture somewhat and maybe the taste ... hard to say, I'm not
much of a rice connoiseur.

>Every year the rice companies with Japanese names announce when this
>year's shinmai is available in markets, so I would guess that for the
>most part rice you buy here is less than a year old.

Interesting. Is the price of the rice you're talking about in the
20 lbs. for $5 range?

Dave

--
Dave McLane                                       davidg@aegis.or.jp
You're free to copy/quote/translate this as long as credit is given. 
Nagaokakyoshi, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81-75-951-1168 Fax: +81-75-957-1087