I don’t know what possessed me, but when I ran out of rice a couple of weeks ago and found myself at the rice section of the supermarket, I picked up a pack of brown rice. I usually eat white rice. The fluffier and more fragrant the better. So I dont’ know what possessed me.
This was the brand I picked up. Somaly organically grown Cambodian Brown Rice. It cost me slightly over RM5 for 1kg. I don’t eat a lot of rice, so a 1 kg bag will last me a while.
This is what the grains look like.
I think this brown rice is not unpolished rice as I used to think they were, but a whole different species of rice. The grains are longer than our fragrant white rice and each grain has a beige-brown tint to it. Some are red-brown and some are nearly white.
According to the instructions on the back, you are to use 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, which is double the usual water:rice ratio for fragrant white rice. I was rather apprehensive at first when cooking it. I have never eaten brown rice, but had read a lot about their health benefits. Apparently, its better to eat brown rice than white as white rice tends to be just empty carbohydrates while brown rice has healthy stuff in it and has more fibre.
Someone told me that brown rice “smells” so again, the apprehension reared its head as I washed and put the rice to cook as per instructions.
The rice takes longer to cook than normal. I think its due to the amount of water used. The rice when cooked, looks quite colourful.
I rather like the taste actually. You don’t get the fragrance usually associated with hot white rice, but this one has another fragrance of its own. The taste too is quite unique as I find it tastes nutty. However, I found that 2:1 water ratio a tad off for the rice turned out too wet and sticky. Now, I quite like my rice that way, so I wasn’t fussed but I would like to get the texture just right next time.
The whole family is eating it now. More expensive, but healthier perhaps? There are probably cheaper brands, but I opted for this one because I’d heard of it and because it said it was “Organically grown”. I dont quite know what that means, but it sounds healthy. 
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I used to consume a lot of brown rice in the early days in Italy before some smart alek discovered how to import fragrant long grain white rice. I actually still prefer white rice, because the brown rice just doesn’t cut it.
PB says: Yeah white rice is still best but I don’t mind the brown some days.
my mom tries to make us eat healthy by mixing brown rice with fragrant rice. it’s not as rough, and we get a little bit more fibre that way.
My mum had a healthier phase too, but we just couldn’t stand brown / red rice alone so she mixed it with fragrant white rice. After about 6 months, she herself switched back to white rice because she missed it! Hehehe.
PB says: I mixed too to start with but now eat brown most days because my white rice has run out. I won’t give up white rice though.
Yeek, I can’t stand brown rice. I ate it once and didn’t like the funny taste and smell. Gimme my white rice. I’ll take my fibre from chewing cardboard or something.
PB says: LOL… Maybe there are different types? I dunno the one I eat is quite ok by me and I’m fussy
Just got ‘rajin’ enuf to put ur new delicious site on my blogroll. Somali rice? Tried once before a few years back. Not this brand tho. Smelled & tasted horrible. Finally gave all to my mother to feed her dogs. Snobbish statement huh. -_-”
PB says: Welcome Tummy! Looks like no one likes brown rice LOL… I don’t mind it and I didn’t find it smelly just nutty.
I find this rice rather tasty actually. And it is most probably healthier than white rice. Only thing is it might compete with the dishes for attention whilst you are chewing it in your mouth
PB says: True I like the taste but it doesn’t go with every dish.
I HAVE JUST STARTED EATING THIS RICE AND I LIKE THE NUTTY TEXTURE.DON’T HAVE TO EAT IT TO FILL FULL. I AM GOING TO SEE IF IN THE LONG RUN IT DOES ANY GOOD TO ME E.G PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN.
RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO GIVE IT A GO!
JEANETTE