Why is white rice used so much more than brown rice?

Bev92

Because white rice is cheaper than brown. If they served brown rice, their price would be higher and no one would order it.

rheanna

White rice takes 15 minutes to cook. Brown rice takes 45 minutes.

Concerned Male

That's right, I forgot about the time factor. Though, if more people asked for brown rice at restaurants and stuff, I think the demand would try to be filled. I'm sure there would be some people that would pay a little extra to get brown rice.

How much more is brown rice usually, compared to white rice? Cause I was at the store recently, and I compared a brand of white rice to a brand of brown rice, and the brown rice was only like a few cents more.

rheanna

Certainly at least some restaurants would start serving brown rice if that's what a lot of customers were asking for. But brown rice is not what most people in the western world are familiar with. People in general are not willing to spend money on unfamiliar foods at restaurants -- if they find out that they don't like it, or it's too "foreign", then they've got a plate full of food that they're unwilling to eat and they're spent money for nothing.

Brown rice tastes different from white, has a different texture, and requires a longer cooking time, as I said above. Many people nowadays don't even eat their VEGGIES, and are certainly not going to switch to brown rice just because it has more vitamins. My experience is few people are adventurous -- they'd rather eat the same foods that they know and love -- nutrition has nothing to do with their choices.

So, enjoy brown rice, serve it to your friends, but don't expect brown rice to replace white rice in most folks' diet.

--Rheanna

cad2

I buy alot of brown rice and the price doesn't really differ from white. There are dishes that I perfer to use white rice just for the taste. I do use alot of brown rice. I went to visit some friends in China and not one person ate brown rice in fact they had different white rices that were like gold and all with different flavors. Not many people there were eating brown rice at all. I was given a bag of rice from a family that had a farm where they harvested rice and this was the most beautiful tasting white rice I have ever had. I do agree that brown rice is better for you than white, but so many other parts of the world eat white rice as their staple diet and they are so much healthier than we are go figure,,,who knows. It has alot to do with how you eat it and what goes on it I think.

Lenin

I think it's the same reason we peel our potatoes and carrots before we eat them.

I (and the billion people in China) think white rice TASTES better. I have had some delicious brown rice but have also had some that tasted like dirt.

I have heard that in China, brown rice is generally for the pigs.

I think India, the OTHER populous place on the planet, eats white (basmati) rice almost exclusively.

Anjjou72

I'm quite fond of brown rice myself and all I can say is thank goodness for Success Rice 10 minute boil in bags! Especially when I'm making rice at 3am because I forgot to the night before. (I work 4-12) Brown rice, broccoli and grilled chicken is one of my all time favorite lunches and perfect fuel for my afternoon swim.

I found an organic brown basmati that's great too, but unfortunately that doesn't come in a boil in bag and takes about 50 minutes to make. I certainly don't make that at 3am! lol

Nigelz

Hi everyone,

I notice your all talking about rice, well can you tell me if there is a lot of differents in calories as my lovely wife is Asain and we have white rice 3-4 times a week??

Lenin

NO appreciable difference in calories between white and brown.

Tinarelli03

Actually if I'm not mistaken , White rice has been shown to turn to sugar in your body and possibly be stored as fat. Unlike brown rice. Although I believe they both probably have the same carbs. Brown rice is just plain healthier and a better choice for many reasons, sadly white rice tastes better as with many foods if tastes good it's usually bad for you...

Concerned Male

Well, I don't think plain white rice by itself has much taste at all. Brown rice doesn't have much taste either, but I'd say it has a little more taste than white rice. There are some brands now, such as Uncle Ben's, that sell a bag of brown rice that you can heat up in about 90 seconds. So there are some forms of brown rice that don't take a long time to cook.

Is white rice similar to white bread in terms of lack of nutritional value? I was curious.

auntjudyg

Yeap. Most of the nutrition is in the hull.