Day 261 - Brown Jasmine Rice

As mentioned previously in this blog, we eat A LOT of rice in our house.  We love rice.  Usually we buy Jasmine or Basmati (reviewed on days 198 http://traderjoes365.blogspot.com/2015/07/day-199-jasmine-rice.html and 191 http://traderjoes365.blogspot.com/2015/07/day-191-basmati-rice.html of this blog). 

This time we decided to SHAKE THINGS UP.  We saw this Brown Jasmine Rice at the Trader Joe’s in Cincinnati and decided to pick up a bag. 

Big bag, small price

I used to be in charge of cooking rice in our kitchen.  When it was my duty, I threw it in a rice cooker, turned it on, and called it a day.  J  Then David decided we should follow the instructions and RINSE it before cooking.  So he took over rice duty.  Then he came up with an elaborate method of frying the rice in olive oil BEFORE cooking it….  Let’s just say, rice cooking is now his assignment and not mine. 

He cooked this Brown Basmati Rice using his “fry in a bit of EVOO oil first” technique.  He then cooked it in water for 35 to 40 minutes (following the package).   So that is the first thing to point out – this rice takes longer than your average rice to cook, so make sure you prepare your meal accordingly. 

We normally don’t dig brown rice as much as white.  But we really trust Trader Joe’s so we gave this a shot.  Luckily for us, it is not as “brown rice-y” as other brown rices.  It is more like white rice but, as David noted, it has a “Little bit more of skin and texture to it.  Though I prefer white rice, I know that brown rice is healthier for me.  So if I have to eat brown rice, I would definitely suggest this.  In fact, now that I am eating the leftovers of it on the second day I am enjoying the taste of it with a little butter on it.”

Oh the sign tells us it is LUXURIOUS!

I thought this was a little crunchier than our regular rice but that wasn’t a bad thing.  I liked it.  The “kernels” were all very separate and there was not gloppiness.  It went well with chicken.  This is a good alternative to our normal rice when you want something a little bit different.  Like the other rices at TJ’s, it is a large bag for a remarkably good price.  This rice, from Thailand, was only $3.29 for a 3 lbs bag – that is only a little over a buck per pound! 

BONUS PHOTO!  I cannot for the life of me find the picture I took of this rice on a plate with a nice omelet we made,
so instead I present ARTWORK FROM THE CINCINNATI TRADER JOE'S!
Here is a piece that is in their foyer - it is the Tyler Davidson Fountain.  Nice, huh??

Price – $3.29

Rating - 4