North American grass; it is heated to dry it out and develop flavor, and this processing gives its endosperm a distinctive glassy appearance Quick-Cooking Rice Quick-cooking rice is manufactured by cooking white, brown, or parboiled rice, thus disrupting its cell walls and gelating its starch, then fissuring the grain in order to speed the infiltration of hot water when the consumer cooks it, and finally drying it The fissuring may be accomplished with dry heat, rolling, microwave treatments, or freeze-drying Rice Flavor The flavor of rice depends on the variety and the degree to which it is milled The outer portions of the rice grain contain more free amino acids, sugars, and minerals, and proportionally less starch The more a rice kernel is milled, and so the more of its surface is removed, the less flavor and the higher proportion of starch it contains The aroma of standard white rices has green, mushroomy, cucumber-like, and “fatty” components (from 6, 8, 9, and 10carbon aldehydes), as well as a slight popcorn note and floral, corn-like, hay-like, and animal qualities Brown rices contain these and also small amounts of vanillin and maplesugar-like sotolon Aromatic rices are especially rich in the popcorn-like aromatic component (acetylpyrroline), which is also an important element in screwpine leaves (p 411), and cooked popcorn and bread crust Because it is volatile and not regenerated during cooking, the popcorn aromatic escapes during cooking, and its concentration declines This is one reason for pre-soaking aromatic rices; this step shortens the cooking and minimizes aroma loss Cooking with Rice Many Traditional Methods The cooking of rice is a matter of introducing moisture ... note and floral, corn-like, hay-like, and animal qualities Brown rices contain these and also small amounts of vanillin and maplesugar-like sotolon Aromatic rices are especially rich in the popcorn-like aromatic component (acetylpyrroline), which is also an.. .The aroma of standard white rices has green, mushroomy, cucumber-like, and “fatty” components (from 6, 8, 9, and 10carbon aldehydes), as well as a slight popcorn note and floral, corn-like, hay-like, and. .. important element in screwpine leaves (p 411), and cooked popcorn and bread crust Because it is volatile and not regenerated during cooking, the popcorn aromatic escapes during cooking, and its concentration declines This is one reason for pre-soaking