Rice can be enjoyed in many ways, not just through stir-frying, sauteing, and steaming with a wide variety of meat and spices. Believe it or not, there are simpler ways to savor rice.
As a breakfast option, rice is also great when turned into cream of rice but you might be wondering what cream of rice is. I looked into it, and here’s what I found!
What Is Cream Of Rice?
Cream Of Rice is the name of a commercial rice porridge made of finely ground white rice. Today, however, most people generally refer to any ground rice as a cream of rice. Often, cream of rice is served with milk, sweeteners, and fruits. Moreover, cream of rice is a popular breakfast food for both adults and weaning children.
In case you’re curious to learn more about the characteristics of cream of rice and how the cream of rice is different from oatmeal, congee, and other dishes, keep reading!
What Is Cream Of Rice Made Of?
Cream of rice is made of ground rice that has such a fine consistency that it can be used as flour or turned into a porridge.
What Is Cream Of Rice Used For?
Nabisco’s Cream of Rice is designed to be porridge. However, generic cream of rice can be turned into a large variety of dishes.
You can use cream of rice to make soup and rice-based desserts. Since cream of rice is bland, cream of rice can easily be mixed with a wide range of ingredients.
What Can Be Substituted For Cream Of Rice?
In the absence of cream of rice, you can use cream of wheat or oatmeal.
Depending on what you want to prepare, cream of wheat might be more appropriate than oatmeal and vice versa.
What Does Cream Of Rice Taste Like?
Just like regular white rice, cream of rice is bland. When raw, the cream of rice has a soft and dry texture like oatmeal. Sometimes, the cream of rice can have a sand-like texture.
Upon cooking, the cream of rice becomes tender and creamy. However, cream of rice can differ depending on the brand you buy or how you choose to make cream of rice.
Is Cream Of Rice Sweet?
Cream of rice will have a subtle sweetness to it because cream of rice is made of white rice, which is naturally sweet and starchy.
Nevertheless, cream of rice will only be noticeably sweet if you add sweeteners like sugar and syrups with the cream of rice, or use sweetened milk to cook cream of rice.
Is Cream Of Rice Good For You?
Instant cream of rice can be fortified with vitamins and minerals, making instant cream of rice a healthy meal option.
As for homemade cream of rice, that will depend on the recipe you follow. By itself, cream of rice has all the same nutrients as white rice it comes from.
Is Cream Of Rice Gluten-Free?
Instant cream of rice is gluten-free unless the manufacturer says otherwise. Similarly, homemade cream of rice is naturally gluten-free since it’s only ground white rice.
However, it’s possible to contaminate cream of rice with gluten if you mix cream of rice with gluten-containing ingredients or tools that touch foods with gluten.
Is Cream Of Rice The Same As Grits?
Cream of rice is not the same as grits. While the cream of rice is made from ground white rice, grits are made from ground corn.
Is Ground Rice The Same As Cream Of Rice?
Cream of rice is the same as ground rice. Technically, cream of rice is a trademarked name, and it was so popular that people started referring to all ground rice as cream of rice.
Mainly, the difference lies in what the ground rice will be used for, as cream of rice is intended to be turned into a porridge.
Is Rice Flour The Same As Cream Of Rice?
Rice flour is the same as cream of rice. Generally, when you ground rice, you can use the ground rice either as a thickener or as an ingredient to make porridge and desserts.
However, cream of rice mostly refers to a cereal dish and is designed to be mixed with other ingredients like cream or milk.
Is Cream Of Rice Better Than Oatmeal?
Oatmeal is better than cream of rice in terms of nutrients since oatmeal contains more vitamins and minerals. Moreover, oatmeal has far fewer calories than cream of rice.
Additionally, oatmeal has a more distinct taste and texture than cream of rice, making oatmeal more preferable in certain recipes.
However, there are recipes wherein cream of rice proves to be the superior ingredient in terms of texture and capacity to absorb flavor.
Is Cream Of Rice A Good Carb?
Cream of rice is a complex carb, and complex carbs are better than simple carbs. However, cream of rice is still essentially rice, and too much carb is not good for you.
Is Cream Of Rice Better Than White Rice?
Cream of rice and white rice may have the same amount of nutrients if the cream of rice is made from the same type of white rice.
However, it’s safe to say that rice variants like brown, red, and black are far healthier than cream of rice.
Depending on what you’re making, there are times when the cream of rice is easier and more palatable. This is especially true for porridge and desserts.
Nevertheless, there are dishes like paella, pilaf, and fried rice where the cream of rice cannot replace white rice.
Is Congee The Same As Cream Of Rice?
Cream of rice is the same as congee, the only difference being their name, origin, and a few ingredients.
Have a look at our related articles to discover what vegan rice is, what cauliflower rice is, and what Calrose rice is.
Conclusion
Traditionally, cream of rice is made from ground rice, milk, and sweeteners. Over the years, cream of rice became a term people used to refer to ground rice.
While the terms are interchangeable, cream of rice refers to a cereal dish. However, the ground rice used in cream of rice can also be used as a thickener or rice flour.