I spent the most productive years of my youth working in the field of Rice Technology, ensuring optimized yields, developing exotic and palatable rice dishes, and understanding practical cultivation challenges. As professional maturity set in, I gradually adopted a more commercially oriented scientific temperament. This led me to deeply study the physio-chemical properties of starch and their relationship with the organoleptic qualities of cooked rice.
Through this journey, my scientific understanding evolved, and I realized that brown rice is among the most nutritious food grains bestowed by nature. Extensive studies and professional consultations on brown rice encouraged me to pursue applied commercial research in this area. Over time, I became firmly convinced that true societal benefit lies in focusing value-addition efforts on brown rice.
A sound understanding of rice chemistry also provides valuable insights into developing exotic brown-rice-based snacks and ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat food products. Unfortunately, conventional flour-making processes strip food grains of many natural components, significantly reducing their nutritional value. Polished grains largely consist of starch, offering flavor diversity but limited nutrition.
Whole grains, particularly brown rice, therefore require specialized processing and handling techniques to preserve their inherent nutritional qualities.
In this chapter, I share practical and commercially viable techniques developed through years of research and field experience.