Just been off to a well known supplier of oriental foods in sw london. Curious why some brands are labelled as Hom Mali and others Maligrasa, is it that different. ??

Also what is broken rice rice used for. ????

Does the phrase triple A really mean anything.
Is fragrant rice that different to long grain rice.

Always puzzled me as well.

Now Ooy's back we had to go and replenish the rice stocks and went up to Korea food after work. 5kg of Golden Orchid AAA that was previously £4.25 is now £7.95 and the maximum you can buy is 20kg, whatever the size of bag. Only applied to Thai fragrent rice.

I asked Ooy about the broken rice but just got a dirty look - it was cheaper!

I can't taste the difference between any rice, whereas Ooy has favourites, but what do I know?

Broken rice is just that apparantly. The grains break or crack during the harvest or milling and consequently are smaller. During cooking it becomes mushy or sticky (something to do with the starch,but a food scientist would know specifically) and thus not really ideal for curries or certainly frying. I believe it's used for porridgey type dishes and/or dog food to bulk out the product. I think you can also use it in Japanese cooking-those dishes of sushi/sashimi (?) where the rice is stuck to the other ingredients.

Broken rice is just a result of the milling process as Steve says. Typically used for rice porridge (Joke) but is now quite popular with increased rise prices.

IIRC, 'AAA' is export quality but I might be wrong.

Packpao

I bought 25 kg for £35, someone likes me I think

Oh go on, tell us where? SW London covers a mulitude of sins!

opposite tesco same as you guv, just that I thought that my friend was in bigger need so I bought more, I must have just missed you

We bought 25kg of Jasmin rice for £35. I can eat this stuff on its own because it taste so good! I can tell the difference and yes, broken rice is a dirty word in our house.
The inlaws have about 30 rye of rice field so they should be ok for a while, pitty those who hav`nt.

Paul

Yes, you can tell the difference as the 'AAA' grade Jasmine Thai rice is much different from the cheap grades on offer in Tesco which I nicknamed "bullet rice" as it was so hard and bland. We always buy from WingYip B'ham and pay around £1+/Kg for a 25Kg sack. Sticky rice is more expensive though.....

While we are on this subject, has anyone else seen the "Thai Sticky Rice" sold as part of Thai ready meals in some supermarkets? Not only is it NOT khao neow, I suspect it is not even jasmine rice. It seems to be bog standard rice overcooked and with a bit of lemon grass or corriander added!

Ian

Our local Morrisions recently had packs of microwaveable "Thai Sticky Rice" (with Ainsley Harriot's mugshot on the box) on special offer so I bought a couple.
Not impressed : not genuine sticky rice ! The packaging also confusingly referred to the contents as being Thai fragrant rice as well. Needless to say we won't be buying anymore.

Golden Elephant Glutinous Rice seems to be the fave in our house bought at Hoo Hing but can't remember the the cost as it was part of a monthly shopping trip with the Fish Heads/Duck Feet etc
colin 244

quote:

Originally posted by the gardener:
opposite tesco same as you guv, just that I thought that my friend was in bigger need so I bought more, I must have just missed you

We'll have to arrange a rendevouz next time!

Did you take the last of the basil? First time we've been there to find none in stock.

err basil
its not that difficult to grow, get a packet of seeds from garden centre or tesco maybe.
I,m curious as to where you reside, I live in g/ford and work in putney

It was the Holy stuff she was after - not so sure about growing that? I'm about 2 miles from the store, not far from New Malden Station.

If you drive, I can see it's an easy en-route stop-off.

Here how i grow my thai basil http://www.bloggang.com/viewdiary.php?id=nowaday-on&group=17

chibasixty - Did you grow Basil in England ? If so dont suppose you got some instructions in English?...The Mrs has gone back to Chiang Mai it'llbe a nice surprise if I can have some Kapow ready for when she gets back.

Thx

I can confirm that broken rice is used to make rice porrige and rice soup and is also used, in Thailand, to feed to the dogs , saving whole grain rice for humans. Jasmin rice is grown for its fragrance as well as taste.

When we have been rice shopping im Uttaradit, we go to a shop which only sells rice - 40+ varieties of it. I definitely detected "rice snobbery" too. Pook (naturally ) likes the most expensive fragrant rice. I appeared to me that your household was judged on the type of rice you eat. Anyone come across this ?

lidl has thai jasmine rice at 99p per kilo, so no need to lug those 25kg sacks around! i'm not sure how the taste compares but, at that price, it's worth a try.

ian.

Hi Nick sorry to late reply the day i posted i ran off to newforest.

Yes i grow them here in the uk, i'd like to give you instruction in English but i can't remember what my husband called that liquid he used, i'll ask him when he got sometimes off from work and will be back to show you again.

quote:

I'd like to give you instruction in English but i can't remember what my husband called that liquid he used

That will be Clonex rooting hormone.

Regards
Lee

I suspect the reason it has a bad name is that some of the damage to grains of rice is done by rodents. I once saw the buyers bible for examing rice before purchase...for huge quantities, a guide that professional dealers use and that said that much of the broken rice was the result of a four legged consumer getting there first.