Other Grains

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About

Wild rice is not actually rice but rather the seed of an unrelated grass native to the northern United States and Canada. The grains are long, slender, hard, and dark brown or nearly black in color. Because of its unique nutty flavor, scarcity, and high price, wild rice is considered a luxury food.

Wild rice is now widely cultivated, but the cultivated type is slightly different from that harvested in the wild. Grains of cultivated wild rice are generally larger and firmer, but the texture of the cooked rice is coarser and the flavor less complex. Cultivation has helped reduce the price of wild rice, however.