Rice is the most popular grain in the world. And no matter where you are, you will find a regional recipe using the versatile ingredient. There's creamy risotto, savory biryanis, and the time-honored tradition of sushi rice, among countless other applications.
Different varieties of rice have been cultivated on multiple continents throughout history, but the vast majority of the grains you can buy today are derived from Oryza sativa, a strain originally domesticated in Asia.
Within Oryza sativa are countless subspecies with their own unique appearances, flavors, and characteristics. And since each variety of rice is so distinct, there is no rice that's truly one size fits all. That means you shouldn't just swap difference types of rice in a recipe without a second thought.
I consulted Brita Lundberg, fourth-generation farmer at Lundberg Family Farms, to unpack the primary rice categories. So now whenever you choose to make rice, you can make sure you're using the right type for whatever you're cooking.
Long Grain Rice
Any rice that falls under the umbrella of long grain is roughly four to five times as long as it is wide. While the starch content varies from subspecies to subspecies, you can typically expect long grain rice to have higher amounts of amylose. This creates cooked rice that's lighter and fluffier with distinct individual grains.
These types of rice are great for making pilafs, fried rice, and Mexican rice. But each one brings its own unique flavor. "Jasmine rice is known for its buttery flavor and light, floral fragrance while Basmati rice has a nuttier flavor and popcorn-like aroma," says Lundberg.
Short Grain Rice
True to its name, short grain rice is defined by being only slightly longer than it is wide. It also has some of the highest concentrations of amylopectin across all types of rice. Cooked short grain rice clumps together, which makes it easy to eat with chopsticks or use in recipes that need some structure.
"As a rule of thumb, length and texture are related. Short grain varieties tend to cling together when cooked when cooked," says Lundberg. "Because of this, short grain varieties work well in recipes that call for a sticky or creamy texture, like sushi or rice pudding."
There is, however, a fine line between sticky and gummy. Many recipes recommend washing or rinsing the rice before cooking to remove any residual starch on the exterior, which helps guarantee a more pleasant texture for your finished dish. The most common short grain variety is Japanese sushi rice.
Medium Grain Rice
Medium grain rice is like the Goldilocks of grains, which makes one of the more versatile types you can use. It's roughly two to three times as long as it is wide. And while it contains more moisture than long grain rice does, it's doesn't have the same amount of starch and stickiness as short grain varieties do.
Italian medium grain rice, like Arborio and Carnaroli, are traditionally used to make creamy, luscious risottos. The mild starchiness of Spanish bomba rice is the key to developing the crisp socarrat on the bottom of a batch of paella. But more generally, cuisines all over the world rely on medium grain varieties as their all-purpose rice.
The cooking method will vary depending on the recipe and how much of the natural starch you need.
Brown Rice
Brown rice isn't a specific subspecies. Rather, it's a way of processing any kind of rice. But if we want to get technical, brown rice is a whole grain that actually requires less processing than white rice does.
"Here’s a grain of truth: All rice is actually brown, black, or red to begin with! It’s the milling process that makes rice white," Lundberg says. "When brown rice is milled, only the husk is removed, leaving the nutrient-rich germ and bran intact. That’s why we call brown rice a 'whole grain.'"
The germ and bran of the plant are packed with micronutrients and fiber that help you feel fuller longer. They also impart a nuttier flavor to cooked rice.
Further processing removes the exterior bran, germ, and endosperm to leave behind the polished kernel, also known as white rice. Opting for brown rice might come with a slightly more robust nutritional profile, but it does come with a major con: it takes much longer to cook.
On average, brown rice takes almost twice as much time to cook as white rice does. It also requires much more water to get the job done. You can easily adjust the timing and ratios if you're making brown rice on its own, but it does not work as well if you're substituting brown rice for white in a more complex recipe.
Black Rice
Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, can thank the presence of anthocyanins for their deep hue. These antioxidants are the same compounds found in blackberries and blueberries and are believed to help prevent body inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. As this rice cooks, however, the color changes from black to a bright purple.
Just like with brown rice, black rice is unrefined and retains the germ, bran, and endosperm. That also means that it requires more water and time to fully cook through. But its nutty flavor and chewy texture is a great base for grain bowls or any recipe that could benefit from some color.
At Lundberg Family Farms, they grow their own Organic Black Pearl Rice that have shorter, bead-like grains and a "super smooth flavor."
Glutinous Rice
Glutinous, or sticky, rice is a short grain japonica subspecies that has a higher concentration of amylopectin (but don't worry, it's still gluten free). As this type of rice cooks, it releases much more starch and creates a sticky, gummy texture. It may be considered a technical error with other types of rice, but it's actually the desired effect for glutinous rice.
You are less likely to encounter a bag of glutinous rice at large American grocery chains. You should, however, be able to find it at Asian supermarkets, because some of the most common preparations of the grain can be found across different Asian cuisines.
It's often stuffed and wrapped in lotus leaves to create the Chinese dim sum dish lo mai gai. Sticky rice can be toasted and ground into a powder commonly found in North Thai and Lao pantries. But you may be most familiar with sticky rice in sweet dishes, like coconut sticky rice with mango.
Cooking a batch of sticky rice can be more time and labor intensive than other varieties, and requires plenty of planning so the grains have enough time to soak.
Wild Rice
Wild rice isn't technically rice. It's actually an aquatic grass native to North America that's genetically closer to wheat. Lundberg describes wild rice as having a "firm, chewy texture and rich, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with toasted nuts or dried fruit"
Wild rice has been an integral part of Indigenous cuisine for centuries, but most of the wild rice you can find in supermarkets today isn't wild at all. In the 1960s, the University of Minnesota domesticated the grain to be cultivated on a commercial scale. This rice, known more specifically as paddy rice, has a more uniform flavor and deep, shiny black hue.
The tradition of harvesting truly wild rice is being kept alive by Indigenous harvesters (mostly in the Great Lakes region). The grains have much more variety in appearance and flavor than industrially cultivated alternatives, but are usually brown with a matte finish. Each ancestral crop is hand harvested, roasted (parched), and winnowed to remove the hulls.
True wild rice, known as manoomin in the Ojibwe language, requires more labor and skill to process, which means it's more expensive. But it's absolutely worth seeking out—not just because of its more distinct flavor, but because it's a good way to support Indigenous foodways.
