Let’s start with the basics: What’s wild rice?
You might be surprised, but wild rice is really not rice at all. It’s an aquatic grass that grows wild in marshy areas mainly in the Midwest. Today, most of the wild rice that is on the market is cultivated wild rice; meaning it is grown in man-made marshy areas mainly in California.
What’s the water to rice ratio for wild rice?
Although it’s pricey, the good news is that with a 1 to 4 ratio (1 cup wild rice to 4 cups water) you get a big bang for your buck. One cup of raw wild rice translates to about 4 cups of cooked wild rice.
What’s the difference in cooking time for cultivated wild rice versus hand-harvested wild rice?
Cultivated wild rice will cook in approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Hand-harvested wild rice will take a bit less time, cooking in approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Generally, the darker the rice grain, the longer it will take to cook.
Recipes with Wild Rice
Time to put these new skills to the test! Here are a few of my favorite recipes that use cooked wild rice. Enjoy!
Cooked Wild Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice in a strainer under cool tap water. In a saucepot, place the rice, water and salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until rice grains burst open and puff open. Drain rice in a strainer to remove excess liquid.
