What Is Broken Rice? + Other Related Questions

Rice can have many confusing labels. Sometimes, what you see on the packaging is the name of the rice variant, how it is processed, or both.

If you’ve ever encountered broken rice, you might be wondering what broken rice is. I looked into it, and here’s what I found!

What Is Broken Rice?

As the name implies, broken rice refers to grains that have been broken during the milling process. Usually, only the whole grain or unbroken rice is sold because broken rice is viewed as inferior. Nonetheless, there are a few notable differences between broken and unbroken rice, and one of them is that broken rice is fragmented. 

In case you’re interested to learn more about the characteristics of broken rice and whether broken rice is for you, keep reading!

What Is Broken Rice Called?

Broken rice is called by different names depending on where the broken rice is cultivated and consumed.

Traditionally, broken rice is called Cơm Tấm in Vietnam, which is where broken rice originated.

Why Is Broken Rice Called Broken Rice?

Broken rice is called such because the grains are broken. When rice grains are milled, a certain percentage of the grains are fragmented in the process.

Fragmented rice is segregated from whole grains and is often considered lower-grade rice.

What Are Broken Rice Kernels?

Broken rice kernels simply refer to the kernels that are broken at any point during the harvesting, drying, transporting and milling of the kernels.

Technically, rice rains are seeds, and they are referred to as ‘kernels.’ As such, broken rice and broken rice kernels are generally the same thing.

What Is 5 Broken Rice?

Five percent broken rice refers to a grade of broken rice, which is judged by the composition of the grains after they have broken during the milling process.

Additionally, broken rice can be classified as 5%, 10%, 15%, 25% & 100%.

What Is 100 Broken Rice?

One hundred percent broken rice is a rice grade that is made up of 14% bran and meal, 20% husk, 15% broken rice, and 50% brown rice.

What Is The HS Code For Broken Rice?

To classify traded products more easily, a standardized numerical method called the Harmonized System (HS) was established.

For broken rice, the assigned HS Code is 10064000.

What Is The Difference Between Rice And Broken Rice?

Unbroken or whole grain rice is longer, wider, and has a more defined shape.

Additionally, whole grain rice can uphold the distinct taste and texture of the specific rice variant they belong to.

In contrast, broken rice has no singular length and width. Since the grains have fragmented parts, broken rice tends to be softer and more absorbent of any flavor the broken rice is exposed to.

Depending on how you cook broken rice, broken rice can either have the same texture as risotto or glutinous rice.

What Kind Of Rice Is Broken Rice?

What Kind Of Rice Is Broken Rice?

Broken rice can be any rice variant. Usually, broken rice is just regular white rice, but broken rice can also be Jasmine rice, Matta rice, brown rice, and black rice.

Why Do Vietnamese People Eat Broken Rice?

Broken rice is widely used among the Vietnamese population because broken rice is cheap and accessible.

Additionally, when broken rice was discovered, poor rice farmers could not sell them. As a result, farmers and their families decided to eat broken rice instead.

Eventually, broken rice became a staple in Vietnam among the working class.

What Is Broken Rice Good For?

Broken rice is often used for weight management and increasing the potassium in a person’s diet. With an increased potassium intake comes a steadier heart rhythm.

What Is Broken Basmati Rice Used For?

Broken rice is often used as a side dish to curries and a wide selection of vegetable, fish, and meat dishes.

When broken rice is aged, broken rice has a stronger taste, making broken rice an excellent pairing for a lot of stir-fried, sauteed, grilled, and fried food.

What Is Jasmine Broken Rice?

Jasmine broken rice is simply the fragmented Jasmine rice grains that have been removed from the unbroken Jasmine rice.

Is Couscous Broken Rice?

Couscous is often likened to broken rice but couscous is not a rice grain.

Technically, couscous is a form of pasta. Couscous is made from a dry combination of water and semolina that is shaped into tiny pieces.

While couscous may resemble the appearance of broken rice, couscous is not considered a type of broken rice.

Is Broken Rice Cheaper?

In Asian countries, broken rice tends to be cheaper than unbroken rice. Nevertheless, broken rice is often more expensive than unbroken rice in western countries like America.

Is Broken Rice Good For Babies?

Generally, white rice is safe for babies to eat. If you feed your baby broken white rice, there is no reason to believe that broken rice would cause your baby any harm.

After all, broken rice tastes the same as unbroken rice although broken rice can be more clumpy depending on how you cook it.

Consequently, broken rice is a great choice for making rice porridge for babies.

Is Broken Rice Gluten-Free?

Rice is naturally gluten-free. Even in the fragmented state of broken rice, there is nothing to suggest that broken rice can naturally develop gluten.

As such, broken rice is considered safe for celiacs to consume.

How Do You Cook Broken Rice On The Stove Top?

To cook broken rice on the stovetop, you have to rinse the broken rice and put it in a saucepan with water and salt. Remember that the ratio of broken rice to water is 1:1.

Once the water is boiling, stir the rice then cover the saucepan with a lid. Afterward, lower the heat and let the broken rice cook for around twenty minutes.

When you see that there’s no more excess water in the saucepan, turn off the heat and let the rice rest for around five minutes.

Finally, fluff the broken rice with a fork and transfer the broken rice to a serving platter.

Check out our other articles to discover what brown Basmati rice is, what baby rice is, and what boiled rice is.

Conclusion

Broken rice is not limited to a select few rice variants. Any rice variants that tend to break during the milling process can produce broken rice.

While broken rice is considered low-grade and cheap rice in Asian countries, broken rice sells for quite a high price in Western countries.

Originally, broken rice was eaten by poor farmers and their families in Vietnam because it was impossible to sell broken rice.

This eventually changed, and broken rice became popular rice for the working class.

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