[Sca-cooks] brown rice

[Daniel Myers]

Greetings,

The problem with brown vs. white rice is that they're both the same
species of plant - it's the amount of milling that determines the color.

Unfortunately I haven't yet found any strong sources which confirm the
color of the rice used in 15th century Europe.  I've started looking
through archaeological sources and late-medieval agricultural texts, but
I haven't had any luck so far.  A good late-period painting would be
nice as well ... the search continues.

Some of the recipes in extant cookbooks involving rice strongly suggest
that it was white rather than brown.  Rice appears prominently in dishes
that are described as "white" (e.g. blancmanger), however that's not
conclusive. 

- Doc


> -------- Original Message --------
> From: Bernhard Rohrer <graylion at sm-wg.net>
> Date: Sun, July 08, 2012 6:51 pm
> 
> Greetings gentle cousins
> 
> I am currently trying to research the usage of brown vs white rice in 
> period. The only mention that i have found so far is that white rice 
> came in in Japan in the 17th C. 
> (http://ask.metafilter.com/149004/History-of-white-not-wholegrain-rice-in-Japan)
> 
> Does anybody have a source that can shed more light? Gut feelings says 
> brown rice, but that tends to be unreliable ;)
> 
> YIS
> 
> Arpad