Rice is very much under appreciated in the United States. With the exception of Asian cooking, rice is usually a side dish or combined with other ingredients. Rice is a very nutritious, low cost and easy to prepare food.

There are different types of rice available and the cooking time varies by type of rice. Follow the package instructions for the amount of liquid necessary and the cooking times. Both vary for each type of rice.

Regular White Rice has been milled to remove the hull and bran coating. Regular white rice comes in long, medium and short grains. Long grained rice is the best for all purpose use.

Brown rice has only the outer hull removed. The brown bran layer remains. Brown rice has a pleasant nutty flavor and a firmer texture. While white rice cooks in about 15 minutes, brown rice takes 45 to 50 minutes to cook.

Precooked or Quick Cooking Rice has already been cooked and commercially dried. Cooking time is short.

Parboiled or Converted Rice has been treated before milling to retain much of the natural nutrients. It takes 20 to 25 minutes to cook.

When cooking rice do not be concerned if you have cooked rice left over. There are some excellent recipes included which use cooked rice.