Cooking rice in a folk style makes it poor

The way of rubbing rubbed rice, removing the first cooking water of many people has inadvertently lost many of the essential nutrients for the body available in rice grains.

That is the result of the research of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Ninh (National Institute of Nutrition) and Dr. Tran Thi Cuc Hoa (Cuu Long Delta Rice Institute) implemented on some families of six other ethnic groups. each other (San Chi, San Diu, Nung, Tay, Hoa and Kinh) with five types of pots and pans used to cook rice with materials: cast iron, copper pot, Hai Phong aluminum and earthen pot, electric rice cooker.

Should wash rice instead of rubbing

After cooking, the rice needs to be eaten immediately to ensure the appetite and the nutrient content has not been "evaporated" much.Photo: Tien Dat

According to the research results, in addition to rice grain lost many nutrients in the milling process, how to wash rice with rub two, three times rice seeds in the middle or between the hands for white rice seeds, creating a lot of condensed rice with rice white, accidentally removed a large amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, outside the grain. Making rice grains only remains the core of starch. The amount of iron and zinc lost is measured in rice grains before and after the cooked rice is from 79.9 to 96.5%. B vitamins also lost up to 70-95% in the process of milling and rice.

The results of sociological investigations with housewives also show that their perception of rubbing rice before cooking is . normal. Almost no one recognizes how to do it without science. Up to 90% of the interviewees have 'rubbed' rice rubbing rice at least twice before cooking to remove dirt from the rice. The remaining 10% said that they also pay attention to the nutrients in rice grains but thought they would use water to cook pork bran so they did not care much. Habits of rubbing rice repeatedly occur mostly in rural areas. In cities, cookers work more technically: pouring rice and water into saucepans, pots, and then simmering (also called rice washing). This helps to remove all the impurities such as rice husk, grit, mold . in rice without rubbing. As a result, minerals and vitamins are less likely to be lost.

Cooking rice must be correct

The research results also show that the habit of cooking rice in a folk style: put plenty of water to boil for about 10 minutes, remove the first water and then continue to add cold water to cook then make the nutrients continue. much loss (up to 50%). Not to mention, this way of cooking also makes the rice grain big, the taste of light rice and the seeds do not stick together. As a result, rice cooked with rice cookers has the least amount of zinc loss and rice cooked with earthenware loses the most zinc.

In order to retain the maximum of nutrients in rice grains (glucid, protein, lipid, minerals, vitamins B1, B2, B6 .), the research team recommends not to grind rice too white. When washing rice, do not rub your hand. Properly performed as rice washing operation: putting rice in pots and pans . stirring gently, decanting water to eliminate rice husk and grit. Using boiling water to cook instead of cold water will help the flexible rice grain and nutrients get less lost (including cooking with a rice cooker). The reason is because when cooking with boiling water, the outer layer of the rice grain shrinks, creating a protective layer of rice grain without cracking or breaking. Also cooked with cold water, rice seeds expand, nutrients also follow that dissolve in water. In the process of boiling rice, limiting the removal of rice water will result in the loss of large amounts of nutrients. When the rice is fully boiled, it is recommended to turn down the heat, cover the lid to keep the heat, to prevent the rice from coming into contact with the air, which is a factor that destroys vitamins. If properly manipulated, the amount of vitamin B1 retained will be 30% more than how to cook with cold water.

'Rice cooked with an electric rice cooker has the least amount of zinc and rice cooked with a clay pot takes the most zinc.'