Natural form

Uncooked long-grain white rice grains showing their slender, smooth, opaque-white form.

Shows the raw grain's distinctive elongated shape and matte-white surface so readers can identify it at a market or in a bag.

Grains & Rice

White Rice

Fluffy long-grain rice — the neutral base for almost any meal

Light, fluffy, and endlessly adaptable, long-grain white rice soaks up curries, stir-fries, and stews. Store it airtight and it keeps almost indefinitely.

White rice is the milled, polished endosperm of the rice grain — the bran and germ stripped away to leave a clean, ivory kernel that cooks up fluffy, mild, and endlessly adaptable. It is the most-eaten staple on the planet for good reason: it is forgiving, fast, cheap, and a near-blank canvas that takes on whatever flavor you give it, from a curry's sauce to a stir-fry's char. Long-grain varieties (the default 'white rice' on most shelves) cook into separate, dry grains thanks to a lower-amylopectin starch; the trade-off for that convenience is less fiber and fewer nutrients than the brown, whole-grain form. Treat it as the supporting actor it's meant to be — get the water ratio and the rest off the heat right, and it never lets the plate down.

Measured in: g
Storage: Airtight

Find it in

Pasta Grains

Types & varieties

Long-grain

The everyday white rice — dry, separate grains, four times longer than wide.

Medium-grain

Plumper and a touch stickier; good for rice salads and Spanish dishes.

Short-grain

Round and clingy from high amylopectin — the base for sushi and rice pudding.

Parboiled (converted)

Steamed in the husk before milling; extra-firm, separate grains and a little more nutrition.

How to cook (absorption method)

The reliable way is the absorption method: a fixed ratio of water, a tight lid, and a hands-off rest. Rinse if you want it fluffier, then combine with water and salt, bring to a boil, drop to the lowest simmer, cover, and don't peek.

Use ~1.5 cups water per cup of long-grain rice
Simmer covered 15–18 min until water is absorbed
Off the heat, rest covered 10 min, then fluff with a fork
For a rice cooker, the same ratio works — let it click off and rest

How to store

Dry white rice is shelf-stable for years if kept airtight away from moisture and pantry pests. Cooked rice is more delicate — cool it quickly and refrigerate within an hour, because Bacillus cereus spores can survive cooking and multiply at room temperature.

Dry: airtight container, cool dark cupboard, 1–2 years
Cooked: cool fast, refrigerate ≤4 days, reheat piping hot
Day-old chilled rice is best for fried rice — drier grains fry, not steam

Common uses

A bed for curries, stews, and braisesFried rice from chilled day-old grainsPilaf and rice pilafs toasted with aromaticsStuffed peppers, cabbage, and grape leavesRice salads and grain bowlsCongee and rice porridgeBurrito and rice-bowl basesSoup thickener and filler

Tips & pitfalls

Rest off the heat for a full 10 minutes before lifting the lid — that's when the grains finish steaming and firm up.
A splash of oil or knob of butter in the pot keeps grains separate and adds gloss.
Toast the dry grains in a little fat for a minute before adding water for a pilaf-style nuttiness.
Salt the cooking water, not the finished rice — it seasons from the inside out.
Resist stirring during the simmer; agitation releases starch and turns it gluey.

Nutrition

365kcal

Energy

1527 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 8%Carbs 90%Fat 2%

Protein

7.1g

14% DV

Carbs

80g

29% DV

Fat

0.7g

1% DV

Fiber

1.3g

5% DV

Sugars

0.1g

of which

Sodium

5mg

0% DV

Notable micronutrients

Folate58% DV

Thiamin (B1)48% DV

Selenium27% DV

Niacin (B3)26% DV

Iron24% DV

Vitamin B610% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, enriched

View on FDC →

In the shops

Matched grocery products

Long Grain Rice
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€1.19
Long Grain Rice
Hacendado · 1 kg · Mercadona
€1.25
Brillante XL Long Grain Rice
BRILLANTE · kg · Bonpreu
€1.95
Nomen Rice
Nomen · 1 kg · Mercadona
€1.89
Round Rice Sabor
Sabor · 1 kg · Mercadona
€2.45
Round Rice
Hacendado · 1 kg · Mercadona
€1.30

Good to know

Flavor & texture: Mild, faintly sweet; fluffy and separate (long-grain)
Cook ratio & time: 1 part rice : 1.5–1.75 parts water, simmer 15–18 min, rest 10 min
Soak?: Not required; a quick rinse removes surface starch for fluffier grains
Nutrition: ~130 kcal/100g cooked; ~2.7g protein, ~0.4g fiber
How to store: Airtight, cool, dark — dry keeps ~2 years; cooked refrigerate ≤4 days

Substitutes

Brown rice — Whole-grain, nuttier and chewier; needs more water and double the time.
Quinoa — Cooks in similar time with more protein and fiber; faintly nutty.
Couscous — Far faster and lighter when you just need a starchy base.

Pairs with

Soy sauce Garlic Ginger Butter Black beans Eggs CurryScallions

Also called

long-grain rice · arroz · arroz blanco