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Consumer Home > Rice Guide > Specialty Varieties


Specialty Varieties of Rice
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U.S. aromatic red rice has a deep, honey-red bran. Like brown rice, it is minimally processed to retain its bran layers and takes 45 to 50 minutes to prepare. Cooked grains have a savory, nutty flavor and are slightly chewy.

U.S. basmati type rice is an aromatic long grain rice that has a distinctive aroma and flavor similar to that of popcorn or roasted nuts. When cooked, it swells only lengthwise, resulting in long slender grains that are dry, separate and fluffy.

Della, Delrose, and Delmont varieties combine the qualities of regular long grain rice and basmati rice. They have an aroma similar to basmati. However, cooked grains swell in both length and width, like regular long grain rice.

U.S. black japonica is an aromatic rice with a dark black bran. Like brown rice, it is minimally processed to retain its bran layers and takes 45 to 50 minutes to prepare. Cooked grains are slightly chewy with a subtle sweet spiciness.

U.S. jasmine type rice is an aromatic long grain rice that has a distinctive aroma and flavor similar to that of popcorn or roasted nuts. Cooked grains are soft, moist and cling together.


U.S. sweet rice is short and plump with a chalky white, opaque kernel. When cooked, sweet rice loses its shape and becomes very sticky and glutinous.


U.S. arborio rice is a large, bold rice with a characteristic white dot at the center of the grain. By way of length/width ratio and starch characteristics, it is classified as a medium grain rice. Primarily used in risotto, this rice develops a creamy texture around a chewy center and has exceptional ability to absorb flavors.