Jasmine Rice Nutrition: 8 Things You Should Know

The Hom Mali rice, most commonly known as Jasmine rice, is a long-grain variety of rice, which is known for its nutritional values and of course, its fragrance and No, it does not come from the Jasmine plant. Jasmine rice comes from the typical rice plant Oryza Sativa.

Jasmine rice smells like pleasant popcorn with a tinge of sweetness in the aroma. One can say that its fragrance is similar to that of Basmati rice and so is often confused with it. Don’t worry, through this article you will come to know how to differentiate them both. You will also come to know about Jasmine rice nutrition, benefits, the mode of cooking, etc.

• How to differentiate between jasmine rice and basmati rice?

• Jasmine rice origin

• Jasmine rice nutrition composition

• White Jasmine rice vs Brown Jasmine rice

• Jasmine rice vs Basmati rice

• The pros and cons

• How to cook

• Recipes you gotta try

How to Differentiate between Basmati rice and Jasmine rice?

Well, both Jasmine rice and Basmati rice are long-grain varieties of rice and share the aromatic attribute. Still, there are similarities among them in structure, size, and slight differences even in the fragrance too.

Jasmine rice origin

As the name “Thai Hom Mali” suggests, Jasmine rice hails from Thailand. It was discovered by a farmer in Chon Buri province (a province situated in the eastern Gulf of Thailand Coast), in 1951. They say that the aroma of these rice grains is similar to that of the Pandan leaves (Pandanus Amaryllifolius), a plant whose leaves are used to add flavors to Southeast Asian dishes.

Jasmine Rice Nutrition And composition

Jasmine rice is fiber rich and has great nutritional benefits. It contains almost zero cholesterol. It is also sodium and sugar free. Below given is a table for Jasmine rice Nutritions.

Jasmine Rice Nutrition And composition (For Around 140 grams)

Apart from these, jasmine rice nutrition composition also includes other important nutrients like Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Folic acid, Selenium, Manganese, etc.

White Jasmine Rice vs Brown Jasmine Rice

Jasmine rice is available in two forms. The white and the brown forms.They both vary in structure, function, and of course in the nutrient lending properties. The white jasmine rice is known for its fragrance profile and the full fulling taste. Whereas, brown jasmine rice is known for its nutritional value.

White rice is refined and less nutritional than the other one. They are polished and tend to have more calorific value and fat content. Brown rice is whole grain and unpolished and tends to have more fiber content and protein.

If you are a weight watcher, then you can absolutely go for brown jasmine rice. If you are more into the convincing taste than the health benefits, then white jasmine rice is the one for you.

Jasmine Rice vs Basmati Rice

As mentioned above, both the rice are known for their consummating taste and drool worthy fragrance and both the nutritional compositions are almost similar (Jasmine rice nutrition vs Basmati rice nutrition).

So, both can be considered to cook your favorite meal. When it comes to the question ‘which is healthier?’, then definitely basmati is the healthier option. This is because basmati rice has a less glycemic index (around 59) whereas jasmine rice has a glycemic index of about 80.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• The phytonutrients present in jasmine rice tend to develop the immune system.
• Jasmine rice is a rich source of Folic acid and so it promotes healthy conceiving.
• As brown rice is the less processed one, it is fiber rich and maintains healthy bowel movements, thus supporting our digestive system.
• Helps in healthy weight gain due to the starch content.
• If you take a closer look at the jasmine rice nutrition composition, you will be able to see the fibers content and also how it is free from sugar and cholesterol.

Cons:

• Jasmine rice has a higher glycemic index. So, it causes sugar levels to rise in the blood. It is not advisable to consume jasmine rice if you have Type 2 Diabetes.
• There could be traces of arsenic in it, as it is cultivated in water-flooded fields. Arsenic, being one of the most toxic heavy metals, it is advisable to wash the rice in the running water, beforehand.
• The jasmine rice nutritional composition is high in starch and so should be taken in sufficient amounts.

How To Cook Raw Jasmine Rice?

1. Wash the rice grains properly in the running water to remove all the possible dirt and toxins. It doesn’t need to be soaked, like Basmati rice.
2. Take a large vessel and add the cleaned rice and water to it. (the water-to-rice ratio must be 1:1.5)
3. Bring the rice to a boil and then turn to simmer.
4. Cover the vessel using a lid and cook for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, remove the vessel and let it sit for 10 minutes. There you go, it is ready!

Recipes you gotta try

• Chicken Fried rice
• Ginger Soy Chicken with jasmine rice
• Tilapia with jasmine rice
• Lemon-Cilantro steamed Halibut with Herbed jasmine rice
• Honey-Ginger baked salmon with jasmine rice
• Teriyaki salmon with jasmine rice

The Bottom Line | Jasmine rice nutrition

So that was all about jasmine rice nutrition, if you ask whether it is okay to consume jasmine rice daily, the answer would be, a big No. This is because the nutrients are almost stripped in jasmine rice. Anyways, you can choose to eat the brown jasmine rice as it is very much less processed.

If you are looking for healthy alternatives to jasmine rice, consider quinoa, bulgur, amaranth, wild rice, etc. Hope you liked this article about Jasmine rice nutrition and comparison. Feel free to share your go to dish using jasmine rice.