Featured Product: Wild Rice

The Health Promotion Board recently released a controversial report that eating white rice increases one's likelihood of getting diabetes. Whether or not you agree, it's never a bad idea to explore other delicious, healthy carbohydrate options.

If like us, you can't live without rice, you might want to try wild rice, an exceptionally nutritious choice with a lovely nutty flavour.

Unlike regular white and brown rice that we consume in Asia, wild rice isn't actually rice! It's classified as grass that happen to produce edible grains. Three of the four known species are native to North America and have long been harvested by native Americans. The fourth is native to China where it is now more common to consume the stem as a vegetable instead of the grain.

Just one cup (around 164 grams) of cooked wild rice gives you a significant amount of B vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates. In addition, a study has found that wild rice contains 30 times more antioxidant activity than white rice.

How to cook wild rice

Wild rice can be steamed or boiled just like regular white rice, but it needs more water — three cups of water per cup of rice— and takes longer to cook. A cup of raw wild rice will typically yield 3-4 cups after cooking. For additional flavour, try cooking wild rice in chicken stock instead of water. 

Wild rice is particularly popular in North America and is often served as salad, baked casserole dish, or even a stuffing for poultry. Here are some recipes to try.

Miso ginger wild rice with carrots and cabbage from Whole Foods Market

Creamy baked chicken and wild rice casserole by Sunny Anderson

Wild rice with mushrooms from the New York Times