Testing For Nicest Rice
Rice is one of the simplest, yet noblest, of all foods.
In its most basic form, it has long been a dietary staple for more than half of the world’s population. Dressed up, it becomes the backbone of an Italian risotto, a Spanish paella, a Cajun jambalaya.
No less an authority than the New York Times has hailed rice as “the pasta of the ‘90s.”
The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel recently sampled rice in two of its more mundane incarnations: packaged rice mixes, and miniature rice cakes.
Among a trio of long grain and wild rice mixes, both Farm House’s herb and butter blend and Uncle Ben’s original variety got good marks for taste. Farm House proved the better buy, delivering two-thirds the quantity for half the price.
Both beat that venerable San Francisco treat, Rice A Roni, whose chicken with almonds mixture was as gummy as a crowded cable car ride on a hot summer day.
The rice cake category generated considerably less enthusiasm among panel members, but a clearer winner: Hain’s honey nut mini-cakes.
It’s not so much that they were impressed with the Hain’s as they were repelled by its competitors, Quaker’s banana crunch mini-cakes and American Grains’ spiced apple bites.
As one panelist put it, amid all the packing peanut jokes: “I can’t see any reason to eat these.” Pass the paella, please.
Farm House Long Grain & Wild Rice, Herb & Butter
Price: 74 cents for 4 ounces.
Nutrition: 200 calories (9 percent fat calories); 730 milligrams sodium per 1 1/4 cup.
Taste: ****
Value: ****
Comments:”Not spectacular, but as a side dish, OK. (I’m picky about rice.)” - Jim Eggers.
“A little too greasy, could be fluffier. Not bad for the price, though.” - Paul Norris.
“Nice flavor, poor texture.” - Larry Kelly.
Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice, Original Flavor
Price: $1.49 for 6 ounces.
Nutrition: 100 calories (9 percent fat calories); 320 milligrams sodium per 1/2 cup.
Taste: ****
Value: ***
Comments: “Good texture. A little bland.” - Jim McGinty.
“Good texture - flavor of the wild rice came through.” - Mike Lax.
“Not too salty, fairly innocuous … not unpleasant, but very forgettable.” - Maria Ranniger.
Rice A Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice, Chicken With Almonds
Price: 74 cents for 4.8 ounces.
Nutrition: 290 calories (28 percent fat calories); 1170 milligrams sodium per 1 1/2 cups.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments:”Too gummy of a texture; rice is glued together.” - Jan Robison.
“Gummy and gross - the crunchiness of the almonds makes it taste like it’s not done.” - Jarretta Manning.
“A little mushy. Salty. Crunchy little almond bits are nice.” - Susi Faville.
Hain Fat Free Mini Rice Cakes, Honey Nut Flavored
Price: $1.99 for 4 ounces.
Nutrition: 60 calories; 45 milligrams sodium per 6 mini cakes.
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “Light and crisp. My daughter would really like these.” - Jarretta Manning.
“Good for a rice cake - too many, however, would conjure up images of packaging styrofoam. OK flavor; sweet flavor makes it nice.” - Meagan Coffey.
“Tastes good for a brief second, and then I thought I was eating my napkin.” - Paul Norris.
Quaker Fat Free Mini Rice Cakes, Banana Crunch
Price: $1.59 for 4 ounces.
Nutrition: 50 calories; 40 milligrams sodium per 5 mini cakes.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Yucky banana. Don’t think these will be big sellers.” - Susi Faville.
“Tastes like instant banana pudding poured on a rice cake.” - Jan Robison.
“Gross! Bananas should only be flavored as yellow, peeled fruits!” - Meagan Coffey.
American Grains Rice Bites, Baked Spiced Apples
Price: $1.63 for 5 ounces.
Nutrition: 60 calories (26 percent fat calories); 92 milligrams sodium per 10 mini cakes.
Taste: *
Value: **
Comments: “Cinnamon good - reminds me of cinnamon toast at first.” - Larry Kelly.
“Very acidic initial taste which immediately gives way to a dissolved packing material. Texture very off-putting.” - Maria Ranniger.
“Awful, awful, awful, awful.” - Mary Aegerter.
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