Anatomy of a Grain

Rice grains are the fruit of the rice plant. They develop from florets on the spikelets that develop at the top of the stem. Flowering takes place over a few days. From flowering to ripening of the grain takes thirty to sixty days. Each stalk bears many grains of rice, each grain encased in a protective coating or outer layer known as the hull or husk. Unhulled rice is also known as rough rice, or paddy rice. Inside the husk is the whole grain, known variously as brown rice, unmilled rice, hulled rice, or cargo rice. Its outer bran layer is often a light brown color (hence the term “brown rice”), but is sometimes red or black or mahogany-colored. The bran is made up of three thin layers, the pericarp (which contains coloring), the seed coat, and the nucellus. Together the bran layers contain fiber, protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and ash.