Wild rice, or water oats, or Native American rice, is almost as old as history itself. This highly nutritious plant is not really rice, but water grass, known as citric acid. Both she and white rice, which is usual for us, belong to cereals, but this is where their kinship ends.
Who is this and where from?
Wild black rice is a natural inhabitant of the rivers and lakes of North America. People use four subspecies of this plant for food: Zizania aquatica, Zizania palustris, Zizania texana (native to North America) and Zizania latifolia, or Zizania caduciflora (originally from China). The habitats of water oats are in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Oregon (USA), as well as in modern Canada, in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan (where canoes are still used to collect it).
They began to seriously cultivate this plant in the 1950s, in Minnesota - since 1962. Since 1974, water oats have been grown in Hungary. It is also cultivated in Australia, New Zealand and China (here it is grown for the sake of stems).
Canada still has strict rules regarding its procurement. Those wishing to collect water oats must obtain a license from the appropriate department. Gathering can only be carried out from a boat driven by oars. With a special device, the spikelets of wild rice are tilted over the boat and shaken off “rice”, and so on, time after time, as long as there is strength and desire. Equipment in the collection area is not allowed even in the form of a motor boat. Only handmade.
Rice and its health benefits
To date, scientists have several hundred thousand human proteins, or rather, their varieties. All this diversity is created on the basis of 20 "standard" amino acids. Amino acids, in turn, are divided into interchangeable and irreplaceable. The first organism is able to synthesize itself. The second must come with food, because they do not form in the body.
The water oat protein contains all the essential amino acids, and it contains 18 of the total 20 amino acids. Thanks to this, wild rice (the benefits and harms of which interests all fans of a healthy lifestyle) becomes a very useful and necessary product for vegetarians and vegans. Such a product as a side dish will perfectly complement meat and mushrooms, it is suitable for diet food, for those who follow the figure, and those who are only trying to find it.
Wild Rice Industrial Harvest
When the harvest is approaching - September, farmers try to maximize their profits. They divert water from the "plantations" so that special harvesters capable of moving through the swamp can collect crops.
Harvested in this way, the rice is still green, so it is laid for drying. After it, brown, glossy, good quality pictures are separated from the husk and garbage and sent for storage and sale.
Composition and calorie content of water oats
According to the USDA Nutrient Database, wild rice (with a calorie content of 100 grams - about 357 kcal) contains a large amount of easily digestible protein, fiber, carbohydrates and fats.
In addition, the plant seeds contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B9, C, E, K. Wild rice is a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus, and trace elements in the form of iron , manganese, copper, zinc and selenium. Especially this product is rich in lysine.
Wild rice (the benefits and harms of which have been known to Indians for many centuries) is recommended today by nutritionists for obesity, high cholesterol, problems with the cardiovascular system. It has a good effect on the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems. The amount of fat in it is very small, in addition, it is able to remove excess cholesterol from the body.
Water oats are also good for those who suffer from hypertension or who want to consume a minimum of salt.
Scientists have not proven the harm of wild rice. There are no contraindications. However, you can’t eat only water oats - with many of its advantages, all the substances the body needs are not in it.
How to cook wild rice?
As for the preparation of this dish, there are different opinions: someone advises him to soak it, someone claims that he will cook and so on. Some advise a ratio of 1 part of rice to 1.5 parts of water, others - 1 part of rice for 4-4.5 parts of water.
Opinions also differ on the time of cooking - from 25-30 minutes to 45 and an hour. It should be noted that this variety needs to be cooked longer than white varieties, although water oats are also not the same - there are softer seeds, there are harder ones. The approximate cooking time is 40 minutes.
- Option one: how to cook wild rice with soaking. Rinse the right portion of rice, soak for 12 hours. Drain, rinse again, put on fire in a ratio of 1 part rice to 4 parts water. Cook until cooked (the dish must be constantly tasted). Add salt at the very end. Drain excess water, serve rice as a side dish or separately.
- Option two - how to cook wild rice without soaking. Rice, rinse, pour water in a ratio of 1 part of rice to 4 parts of water and put on fire. Cook until tender (taste). Salt just before the end of cooking. Drain excess water, serve separately or with the selected dish.
An invention for the lazy: rice in bags
Here it is necessary to clarify - water oats are sold in packs “on their own” and as a mixture with brown unpolished or white rice. In addition, it is on sale in bags. Such wild rice (the benefits and harms of it is a controversial subject, given that the bags are made of polyethylene) specially processed to reduce cooking time and prevent the sticks from sticking together.
It does not need to be washed, it “reaches” readiness faster than the same, but in packs, it does not burn, as it is prepared in bags. Instructions on how to cook are usually on the packaging.
What to serve?
Wild rice, reviews of which different people are as different as day and night, is a controversial and controversial dish. Someone likes it, someone does not know how to cook it, and someone simply prefers other varieties.
However, properly prepared water oats are very good in salads, soups, as a side dish for chicken meat or as an addition to vegetable stew.
The combination “black rice plus white” also tastes very good, besides it looks beautiful and festive on the table. Since there are as many as 18 of the 20 amino acids in the seeds of citric acid, the missing two can and should be supplemented with beans, lentils and other legumes.
With water oats, you can make wonderful sweets - with natural white, black and milk chocolate. You can mix in sweets not only rice - dried berries, raisins, candied fruits and nuts are perfectly combined with chocolate, rice and with each other.
Beautiful and tasty dishes will be obtained by combining rice with fresh white grapes, with almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, with raisins and dried fruits. A delicious “porridge” for breakfast will be prepared from water oats with cinnamon and vanilla.
Than season
Wild rice (its benefits and harms for digestion is enhanced or neutralized by additives) as a separate dish is very tasty with sauces, spices and butter. A harmonious combination will give tamari sauce, shrimp, white based on sour cream and herbs. This is an almost universal product - sauces are suitable and spicy, and sweet, and spicy.
A combination of coconut sauce and lime juice will give an unusual and interesting taste. This recipe will appeal to lovers of Thai cuisine - the taste of the dish will eventually get a little sour, with a clear aroma of coconut milk.
It is worth trying a combination of rice and satsiki or tartar sauce, a combination of these sauces with tomato, mushroom sauce and gravy. The hazelnut flavor of Indian rice will complement and shade the slightly toasted sesame seeds - 1-2 tablespoons per serving. Allspice peas, ginger, chili pepper, oriental spices - all this will give the dish a new flavor, will allow you to endlessly experiment with the same ingredient.