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Rice is a dietary staple in Central America and used in a variety of ways. Commonly served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, its popularity among the non-native populations living inside and outside of Central America is rising due to the unique characteristics of this rice cultivated in the Americas.
In general, Central American rice is of the long-grain variety and high in a starch component known as amylose. Because of this, Central American rice retains a smooth texture and will not produce a "sticky glob" when cooked unless too much water is added when cooking the rice -- Central American long-grain rice should be cooked in no more than one inch of water. This differs from the Asian short and medium-grain rice varieties which, although popular to use, tend to clump regardless of the cooking method used.
Another reason why Central American rice is so popular is because it lasts a long time once it has been cooked. For example, a popular dish in Central America is "Pinto". This dish includes a combination of cooked long-grain rice and black or red pinto beans mixed together with salsa and seasonings. Served as a side dish any time of the day, it is said that Pinto is best when it has been reheated several times. Central American rice can withstand this type of cooking reuse and still retains its shape and original flavor.
The quality of Central American rice is also defined by the amount of broken raw rice kernels included in a bag when the bag is purchased at a store. For example, rice that is labeled 98% indicates that 2% of the rice kernels contained within are broken. Meanwhile, a bag labeled 80% indicates a breakage amount of 20%. Therefore, if a rice dish requires only top quality ingredients, it is recommended to use rice labeled 96% or 98%. If a lesser quality rice is acceptable in a recipe, use rice that is labeled between 80-90%.
Another factor that distinguishes Central American rice from other types of rice is how it is often prepared. Some common cooking methods include frying then boiling the rice or, placing the rice directly into a rice cooker. Because of the various methods used to cook Central American rice, it is a flexible rice that can be used a multitude of ways. This combined with its ability to last a long time once it has been cooked ensures Central American rice a place within many international kitchens.
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