Rice is a valuable food source throughout the world and forms an important part of our staple diet. It is popular because it contains many valuable nutrients and is affordable for most people. In particular, white rice is the most common parboiled rice in the world, but basmati is also widely used. If both are a type of rice, what is it that distinguishes them?

• The size and appearance. Basmati rice and parboiled rice can be clearly distinguished from each other. Basmati rice appears to be a smaller but longer grain than its counterpart and cooks much faster. Make sure you don’t let the basmati rice boil for too long, as this will soften it to the point that it will become soggy. Parboiled rice also cooks quickly, but if you leave it on the stove too long it will turn musky.

• the flavor Parboiled rice has no added flavor. It is simple and can be paired with practically any dish. It will not take away the flavor of the main dish. Basmati has a more delicate and exotic flavor, which means it can only be paired with certain dishes. It is best paired with Indian or Oriental dishes, such as curries or biryani.

• the fragrance Basmati rice has a wonderful aroma while cooking. The luscious fragrance will fill your kitchen with delicious flavor you could bite into mid-air. Parboiled rice is fragrance free and is simply cooked in the water until ready to be removed from the stove. This quality makes it more versatile since, having no aroma, it will complement any dish that you accompany it with.

• The texture. Basmati rice, which boils faster, retains its shape once cooked and does not stick together. This makes it the ideal rice for biryani dishes, which are purely rice dishes. Parboiled rice grains tend to stick together much more easily. This makes it an ideal rice also for desserts, such as rice pudding.

There you go; the differences between basmati rice and parboiled white rice. White rice is a versatile ingredient that is bland, fragrance free, can be paired with any dish or even used to make a dessert. Basmati is a long grain full of aroma and flavor that is best served alone with certain dishes, such as curries. Although these two types of rice are very different, each one has its uses in the kitchen. I dare you to try both types so you can decide for yourself.