You can have trouble saying the difference between rice and basmati rice if you’re someone who isn’t that much interested into cooking.
So what’s the difference between Basmati Rice Vs Jasmine Rice? While jasmine and basmati rice are both long grain rice varieties, it is easy to tell the difference by paying attention to the uncooked rice’s grain size and the cooked one’s texture. Uncooked basmati rice has finer kernels, and longer. And jasmine rice is dense and clumpy when baked, as opposed to basmati’s fluffy and dry texture.
If you want to know all the stuff that make jasmine and basmati rice special, start reading.
Origin of both rice’s:
- Jasmine rice was originally cultivated in Thailand, where it is known as Khao Hom Mali, and is also known as Thai Fragrant Rice. It was first grown for the royalty of the Siamese kingdom. The sweet-smelling, flowery scent of jasmine produced when cooked is the explanation for its name. There are also some forms of jasmine rice contained in Cambodia and Vietnam
- Basmati is cultivated in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India and Pakistan, which simply means the “best of fragrance” There are several crops often grown in the U.S. It has been cultivated in India for centuries. This fragrant rice was sold to the Middle East later by merchants. It has also also been a standard of Middle Eastern and Persian cuisines.
How they look like?
If you want to distinguish between uncooked jasmine and basmati rice, the size and shape of the grain are key indicators for telling you which one is what.
- Jasmine rice is a type of long grain rice. It has somewhat rounded ends, and is somewhat translucent.
- While basmati rice is also considered long-grain rice, it could be called extra-long, as the grains are longer, slimmer, and sharper ends.
Type of Grain:
Both basmati and jasmine rice are types of long grain rice. Nevertheless, the jasmine rice is marginally shorter and rounder relative to the very long, thin, and needle-shaped basmati. Having been cooked, the basmati grains elongate to almost twice their size. They get softer and more fluffy too.
Aroma:
Jasmine rice has a floral flavour, as the name suggests. When frying this sort of rice you can detect a nice popcorn-like taste. Jasmine rice is mildly spicy and nutty as far as the flavor goes.
The Method of Cooking:
If you eat rice, and can’t tell if it’s jasmine or basmati rice, it’s not the end of the world. However, if you choose to create a recipe using one of these, you will be able to say the difference between the two.
Basmati rice is very fragrant, not shocking when you hear that ‘basmati’ is interpreted into ‘made of fragrance.’ Basmati rice has an fragrance and a nutty flavor.
- The absorption process is used for jasmine rice. The latter implies the addition of a measured amount of liquid to the rice to absorb it all by the end of the cooking process. Jasmine rice may also be cooked using the steaming process.
- The cooking method is very special as for basmati rice. If you intend to make a meal with this kind of rice, you’ll need to soak it in water for at least half an hour before you prepare it.
Nutritional Facts about Both:
Jasmine rice and basmati rice all produce complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are essential for good health as they are rapidly digested, and are quickly made available to the muscles and other body systems , making them a perfect energy source.
Types of JASMINE AND BASMATI RICE:
In two ‘colors’-white and brown-both jasmine rice and basmati rice can come. The white version is the polished type, meaning the bran gets removed from the grains. The brown version is the form which is not painted. The latter has smaller carbohydrate material.
Glycemic:
The basmati rice glycemic index ( GI) is almost twice as small as the jasmine rice gI. Basmati rice GI is 58, opposed to about 109 for jasmine rice.
Food that has low GI, such as basmati rice, is gradually digested and metabolized. A smart option if you’re someone struggling to hold your appetite at bay to get your weight under track. Foods of high GI do lead to lower insulin rates and lower blood sugar levels.
The bottom-line: Which one is the healthier choice?
If you have to choose between jasmine and basmati rice not on the basis of the dish you make, but on the mere fact that you are healthy, go for brown basmati and brown jasmine rice.
It’s all about the two molecules which make up starch. Basmati has plenty of amylose: a straight molecule that organizes into a tight formation that helps to keep each grain distinct when cooked, making basmati a great pilaf choice. By comparison, the starch of jasmine rice contains fewer amylose and more of another molecule: amylopectin, which has bushy branches that keep it from tidily arranging itself. That’s what gives its clingy texture to jasmine and makes it ideal for gently piling into a bowl of rice and unmolding to make an impressive mound.