Why is northeast rice more delicious than south rice?

The difference between different kinds of rice

Northeast rice

According to Baidu Encyclopedia, the characteristics of northeast rice are "more dry matter accumulation, moderate amylose content and high amylopectin content." Due to the large temperature difference between day and night in mature rice producing areas, there are more soluble double-stranded sugars accumulated in rice, which is very suitable for human health. The rice in Daxing 'anling is light and sweet, the cotton is soft and sticky, fragrant and refreshing, the surface of rice grains is shiny and gorgeous, and the leftovers are not returned. "

Northeast rice belongs to japonica rice, which is characterized by low amylose and high amylopectin. What do you mean? Simply put, amylose is high, the taste is hard, amylopectin is high and the taste is sticky. Glutinous rice is a kind of rice with high amylopectin content, so it is particularly sticky to eat. In addition to the taste, amylose has another feature: its molecular weight is small, which can be contained in hot water at 50-60 degrees, while amylopectin will not dissolve at 50-60 degrees. Therefore, after soaking or cooking, the northeast rice has a high degree of expansion and looks round and full. Amylose is easy to age, and amylopectin is not easy to age, so Northeast rice has the characteristic of "leftovers don't come back". So northeast rice tastes good when it is cold. Similarly, Yosemite rice from Japan, which is used for sushi at the same latitude, is not suitable for sushi if it tastes bad after cooling.

In addition to the main differences in starch composition, northeast rice also has the characteristics of sweetness, fragrance and oily luster. Sweetness is mainly due to the large temperature difference in the northeast, which is conducive to the accumulation of organic matter. Of course, it may also be related to water. As for incense, it is probably related to the rich minerals in water or soil. Glossy rice is related to rich phospholipids. It is not surprising that soybeans with high oil content and rice with high oil content can be produced in Northeast China.

As the saying goes, the inch has its strengths, but the feet are short. Northeast rice is cooked, but it also has its troubles. Compared with the early rice with high amylose content mentioned later, northeast rice is not easy to cook and porridge is easy to become sticky, which is mainly suitable for cooking. As for Yangzhou fried rice, Indian curry rice, or western-style risotto, you need to eat it with other ingredients, and you have to ask for help.

By the way, Japanese sushi rice, when watching the documentary "The God of Sushi", Jiro Ono said that most people would not cook the rice he used. I have never eaten Yueguang rice in Japan, but the northeast rice is more similar, so I will analyze it according to the northeast rice for the time being. Because of the high amylopectin content, the cooked rice is easy to stick, and it is not easy to make sushi in hand. Therefore, before cooking, it should be rubbed several times until the water is clear to remove the starch on the surface. When cooking, put a large bucket of water on the lid of the pan to form high pressure and cook the rice thoroughly. It is said that most Japanese rice cookers are designed with pressure, probably to adapt to the characteristics of this hard rice. On the other hand, rice in Northeast China is not easy to cook into porridge, but it will be particularly soft if cooked for a long time.

Indica rice in the south

Rice in the south can be divided into early rice and late rice. Generally, the growth period of early rice is 90 ~ 120 days, and that of late rice is 150 ~ 170 days. The amylose content of common early rice is about 25%, late rice is generally 15%-20%, and northern japonica rice is about 8% (I suspect that northeast Wuchang rice is about 17%). As mentioned earlier, the lower the amylose content, the fuller and softer the cooked rice is. So generally speaking, late rice tastes better.

Although early rice tastes bad, it also has its own advantages. I have to put in a good word for early rice here. First, it is the favorite of canteens because of its high eating rate and easy satiety, and there is another more important reason, because the growth period is short and the price is cheap. Second, the water content is low, which is suitable for making grain reserves. In summer, the temperature is high and it is easy to turn over. However, due to the weather, the water content of late rice is often difficult to reach the standard, and it is prone to mildew and deterioration. If one day China is short of food, early rice is our life-saving food. Third, it is suitable for making rice noodles. Early rice is loose and easy to process. In addition, early rice is also suitable for making dry rice noodles like vermicelli because of its high amylose content and fast aging. Fourth, it is easy to digest. Amylose has a small molecular weight and is easy to digest. Compared with glutinous rice with only 2% amylose, the early rice made into porridge is always too easy to digest.

It is known that the taste of early rice is poor, mainly because of its high amylose content, which can be improved by hybridization. There are many hybrid rice now, which are improved for early rice. Do you think that the food you used to eat at school was terrible, but now the food you eat at school is better?