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Globally, rice is classified into many types, which reached in one of the studies 140000 types, but all of them can be classified under the following five broad categories:
1. Raw rice
This is the coarse rice, which is taken directly from the shrubs and coated with a solid hull. It is sold but not eaten in this shape because the hull has to be removed prior to cooking. Some nations prefer rice cooked in this way to preserve its flavor and components to the last moment before cooking.
2. The Brown rice
This is the rice from which the hull is removed but the brown membrane between the hull and the rice grain is left as it is and can be cooked and eaten in this shape. This sort of rice contains a high percentage of fats and vitamins D, B, A, E in these membranes. It is the most useful type of rice but the least spreading among the consumers.
3. The skinned membrane and hull rice.
This is prepared by skinning the hull and bran from the brown rice. It is white rice, which looses through this skinning all its useful components of fats, vitamins, minerals, fibers and
protein. The shape of the rice grain is white colored with solid touch. This type of rice is the most consumed in the world, and is classified into three broad categories and under each category thousands of types are listed.
Sub- divisions of white rice:
A. Long grain rice:
The grain of this type has a cylindrical shape with a length ranging between 8 to 10 ml (1 cm) and breadth equaling to ¼ of its length. This is the preferred type in the mid. East countries and India; its price is higher due to the high demand for it. Its cultivation takes 130 days. The most famous is the Basmati and some times it is called the “India”.
B. Medium length gain rice:
Length of the grain ranges between 2 to 3 times its width and in most cases between 5 to 6 ml. It is the most produced type and its price is moderate.
C. Short grain rice:
The grain is short and puffed with length equal to width (3 to 4 ml). To some extent it takes an oval shape. When cooked its grains stick to each other and it become gluey. The Japanese prefers this type and it is the only type that is produced in Japan and in some countries it is called the Japanese. Its cultivation takes longer time (about 160 days).
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