White rice has had its bran layer milled off, red rice has not.
Rice is the daily staple food for about half of the people on the planet. There are thought to be more than 100,000 varieties in total, divided into the longer Indica and shorter Japonica types. Both can be grown in tropical, semitropical and temperate climates, with cultivars and cultivation methods varying accordingly. Although white long-grain rice is the most common, exotic red varieties are now available in North America.
Long-Grain Rice vs. Red Rice
Long-grain rices are in the Indica family and are long and thin in shape with a total length usually four or five times their width. They are tender and fluffy , with each grain remaining separate and distinct. Indian rices and Chinese rices are long grain as is most American rice. White rice has had the outer layer of dark bran milled away, while brown rice has not. With red rice varieties, the bran layer has a distinctively reddish hue and is left unmilled or only partially milled.
Thai "Cargo" Rice
Red varieties of Thai rice are closely related to the better-known jasmine rice, but do not have the distinctive floral character. They have a chewier texture than white rice but cook in about the same length of time. The flavor is more complex that that of , having deeply nutty notes. The red pigment is water-soluble and will tint dishes made with the rice. Thai red rice is sometimes called "cargo" rice because it was originally exported in bulk form rather than in retail packaging.
Bhutanese Red Rice
Another variety of red rice is the only agricultural export of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It is a medium-grain rice of the Japonica family and has a soft, delicate texture when cooked. This was the staple of the local diet until recent decades, when inexpensive mass-produced white rice from China and India changed local eating patterns. Cultivation of the heirloom red rice has been maintained by marketing it to the West as an exotic product with excellent nutritional value. Bhutanese rice cooks in about the same time as white rice.
Camargue Red Rice
The French also grow red rice in the storied Camargue region. Located in the marshy Rhone river delta, the largest in western Europe, the Camargue was famed as much for its wildness and lawlessness as for its beautiful white horses. Its low and watery nature and warm Mediterranean climate make an excellent environment for rice cultivation. Camargue red rice is a short-grain variety with a complex, nutty flavor and a slightly sticky texture. It takes about 35 to 40 minutes to cook.
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