It can be said that rice is one of the essential ingredients, both for paella and for many dishes. But, how many types of rice are there? In this post we are going to teach you the different types of rice and we will talk a little about paella.
Paella is one of the most famous dishes of Spanish gastronomy, originally from Valencia. This dish is eaten throughout Spain and in more and more places in the world. It is also of tourist interest when traveling to Spain.
History of Rice
Rice was introduced into Spain through the Muslims with rice crops. After the Roman constructions of irrigation systems in the Valencia area, the Muslims improved it by building agricultural areas for production. The Valencian culture has been developing based on rice.
The rice that chefs prefer to make paella are usually those that are grown in the Valencian community due to their high quality. The shape of paella rice is compact and round. Why they choose this rice is because it has better absorption capacity for the paella broth, and as a result it acquires a wonderful flavor.
types of rice
We are going to catalog the rice by its type of grain and the name of each rice.
Rice has 3 types of grain:
- Short grain: it is an ideal rice for Japanese sushi rice dishes.
- Medium grain: it is the one with the highest consumption. It is ideal for cooking paellas, baked rice or casseroles with rice.
- Long grain: it is fast cooking. It is the most used for garnishes such as white rice.
Types of rice by name:
Bomba rice
This is the type of rice that is used the most, such as for paella. The shape of this rice is short grained and almost round in shape. It is very similar to the rice that is used for risottos but they have a different finish, the risotto is more brothy and the paella drier.
This type of rice absorbs a lot of broth, becoming almost three times its volume of moisture, providing a great flavor.
Bahia Rice
These rices have a structure very similar to bomba, they absorb a lot of moisture and retain a good structure after cooking. But the difference is that this rice is cheaper and is the most common in Spanish rice crops.
If you want to try good rice dishes and paellas, do not hesitate to take a look at our catalog and try some. You will not regret!.