Welcome to the Kitchen Shrink, where you write me with your culinary questions and I do my best to answer them.

Aug  4, 2008

What is brown rice; can I substitute it for white rice in any recipe?
Disaster Relief

Mark e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that he would like to eat more brown rice and wondered if he can just substitute it for white rice in any recipe?

Brown rice can be any variety of rice that has not had the hull removed. It retains more of the nutritional value after cooking, but must be cooked 40 to 50 minutes to become tender. It can be a delicious substitute it in any recipe, just plan for the extra cooking time. The variety of rice is more important in a recipe than whether the rice is brown or white. In the United States, most long-grain rice maintains its shape and doesn’t stick together when cooked, while the medium and short grain varieties used in this country tend to be sticky, perfect for puddings and risotto.