What Is Broken Rice? Types, Health Benefits & Ways To Use It
Rice is available in different forms and shapes, making it the foundation of various diets worldwide for years. One of the rice varieties is broken rice, a usually overlooked grain with its own flavors and culinary essence.
Broken rice varieties are typically popular in Asian countries, especially in the eastern regions like Vietnam and Japan and even in the northern parts of India, including Maharashtra. As the name suggests, This rice grains are chunky with a fractured appearance, but that doesn’t stop people from eating this nutritious grain. In fact, this grain is primarily consumed all around the world for numerous unique local cuisines. For example, serving rice with some tasty exotic dishes like pork and beef in Vietnam, used as animal fodder and in beverage industries (brewing beer).
let’s read the article and learn about its uses, benefits, types and more.
What is Broken Rice?
Here are some of the prominent varieties of Rice:
Typically, broken pieces of rice grains are called ‘broken rice’ and are widely known as ground rice. It turns fragmented or broken in the field, during the drying process, through transportation or in milling. Thus, this grain is said to have the exact same chemical composition as white or polished rice, which is attained after the milling procedure, the removal of husks and processing for consumption.
Broken grains from the whole grains are sorted out with mechanical separators based on the size. As this rice is fragmented, it cannot be regarded as defective. Moreover, if the broken rice has all germs and beans, it has nutrients equal to brown rice, and if nothing remains, it has the same nutrients as white rice.
Types of Broken Rice
There are several types of broken rice available at the supermarket or with rice supplies in India. However, here are some prominent types of broken rice:
- Brown Broken Rice
This type of rice is used as a key ingredient in the food industry for products that offer extra fiber, vitamins and minerals. As foods rich in fiber are more fulfilling and are digested at a slow rate. That’s why they are normally included in the formation of food products for human consumption, like cereals, snacks, and rice drinks typically meant for weight loss diets. Besides, brown brown rice is a perfect grain to help in easing intestinal function and constipation in some breeds of dogs and other animals.
- Puffed Broken Rice
This kind of rice variety is procured by a vaporisation process that advances the structure of the cereal by adding a crunchy texture. It is also a familiar element in products like chocolate bars, energy bars, cakes, breakfast cereals, and sweet and savory snacks. Besides, it also adds up to the production of a well-nutritious balanced diet for pets.
Nutrition and Practicality
When it comes to nutritions, broken rice preserves the same nutritional values as whole grains, maintaining proteins, carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals. Moreover, this rice variety takes way less cooking time with the ability to absorb flavors, competently. As a result, it is a practical choice of grain for quick and flavorful meals daily, catering to hectic schedules without scaring taste or nutrition.
Here is the breakdown of nutrition
Total Fat 0.2g. 0%
Saturated Fat 0g. 0%
Cholesterol 0mg. 0%
Sodium 4mg. 0%
Total Carbohydrates 38g. 13%
Dietary Fiber 0.1g. 0%
Sugars 0g.
Protein 3g.
Uses of Broken Rice
Check out the common uses :
- Human Consumption
As there is a major difference in the form and structure of grains, broken rice has a unique and smooth texture compared to unbroken rice. This factor allows the rice to absorb more flavors. Moreover, it needs less effort to cook and uses less fuel. You can cook rice porridges and conges quickly with this rice, even though these dishes take more time to cook.
- Baby Food and Cereals
Due to its high caloric content and floury texture, this rice is used to produce baby food and cereals. The raw material ‘arak’, a flour derived from these grains, endure numerous processes to turn into packaged baby foods, cereals and more. Moreover, it is incorporated in preparing rice flour-based snacks, which are crispy and crunchy.
- Feeding Livestock & Food for Pets
In bulk feeding for cattle, this rice variety is considered an affordable source of energy with low fiber value. When heated, these grains turn into a great source of wholesome food for livestock, and even in poultry, these grains are fed to chickens. Besides, these heated grains are a lot easier to consume and digest by dogs, enhancing gut health.
- Beverage Industry
Typically, this rice is used by brewers to produce beer and malting. In fact, it is also used to produce wine and a popular yet traditional drink, ‘Japanese Sake’.
Health Benefits of Broken Rice
Here are the major health benefits:
- Helps in Losing Weight
As it is a good gut health enhancer, broken rice is often eaten to lose weight. It has a lot of fiber and essential goodness, which makes its nutritional value the same as regular brown rice. This rice is relatively cheaper than unbroken brown grains. Thus, a lot of people can follow a healthy diet without spending a lot of money.
- Helps Strengthen Your Arteries
This rice is known to be an excellent addition to your diet to maintain good heart health. As it is rich in potassium, the heart rhythm stays steady and improves all your cardiac functions. Furthermore, by consuming broken rice, you can surely strengthen the arteries and muscles in your heart. In fact, many nutritionists and diet professionals recommend eating this rice variant regularly.
- Treating Constipation & Ulcers
Eating broken rice porridge/meals daily can help you manage gut health and clear constrictions in the digestive walls. Apart from this, corrosive digestive paths resulting from ulcers are cleared because of the soothing essence of broken rice meals. Thus, your blood circulation will be improved to prevent ulcers. It further enhances your bowel movements, aids stomach problems and strengthens bones and joints. That’s the reason why many nutritionists suggest adding broken rice to your daily meals.
- Provides Essential Minerals and Vitamins
If you are one of those individuals who consider taking supplements as the only way to get the best health benefits, then you might be wrong. There are numerous benefits of eating broken rice daily. For example, this rice helps you lose extra fat and improve your bowel movement as well. However, the best thing about broken rice is that it is quick and easy to cook.
Conclusion
All in all, the premium quality of broken rice remains evident due to its consumption in numerous industries. It’s relatively prevalent that broken rice is worth considering for daily usage and not just an affordable substitute for unbroken rice. Nevertheless, this rice is usually condemned for having a lot of impurities like insects, dirt, dust, etc. Thus, always ensure to purchase your rice from a well-known product and supply it to avoid getting bad quality rice.
