THERE’S A NEW RICE IN TOWN: RICO CORN RICE

        When I was young I only knew one color of rice. And that is of course white. And it wasn’t until I was all grown up when I found out that there are a lot of other types of rice out there. From brown, to purple, to red, and even black. Apparently, each having their own “specs” of nutrition and how they were.... I want to say “milled”?

        When I got engaged to Richie, that was the time when I started to eat brown rice to lose weight. I’m a rice person and so letting go of carbs was out of the question. And so brown rice was better than no rice. It was great because it really helped me reach my ideal weight without having to deprive myself with the joy of eating rice. And although to a lot of people, brown rice tastes like pieces of carton, thankfully for me I can tolerate it’s taste and texture.

        So imagine my surprise when I recently was introduced to yet another kind of rice. One that undoubtingly looks and sounds more appetizing than brown rice. I’m talking about a CORN rice. If you love corn, this will catch your attention for sure!

         Rico Corn Rice (Rico meaning rich) is a new product by La Filipina (Same makers as our favorite La Filipina Corned Pork) which is rice basically made from corn (duh!)

        Rico Corn Rice is made from corn harvested locally from the provinces of Bukidnon and Isabela. The corns are apparently mechanically transformed to copy the appearance of a normal rice grain. The people from La Filipina ingeniously thought of this concept because first of all, more and more people from different parts of the country are choosing corn instead of rice to pair with their daily meals, secondly is to help aid in rice shortage (since we are importing rice to other country), and last but not the least, to help support our local corn farmers.

       So what’s so special about this corn rice aside from it being made of corn? Turns out this corn rice has a lot of great health benefits:

- It is good for diabetics because it is low in glycemic index which helps make the blood glucose level be more stable.

-No cholesterol

- It keeps your tummy full longer s you don’t easily get hungry again.

- It has betacarotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Calcium, and Iron 

- It is high in fiber

-Aflatoxin safe

        With all the listed benefits above, it is not only good for diabetics but it is perfect for expectant moms as well. 

        Another thing that amazes me the most is the fact that you don’t need to wash this corn rice before you cook it. Unlike brown rice wherein you have to wash it like a hundred times before you get to cook it (exaggerating but yeah you need to wash it a lot).

        Cooking instructions is easy. Just boil the suggested amount of water, then pour the desired amount of rice, then simmer until you get that perfect moisture and stickiness! This usually takes about 10-15 minutes.

        The taste and texture? Honestly, it’s almost close to the brown rice. Luckily I don’t mind that texture because like I mentioned earlier, I’m a brown rice girl so it’s fine with me! Plus, considering the health benefits? It would be a good thing to have this on your household!

Check out these amazing dishes you can create with Rico Corn Rice!:

Rico Corn Garlic Rice

Seafood Paella using Rico Corn Rice

...and Mango Corn Rice for dessert!

There's the corn rice!

        What about you? What other recipes do you think will be great with corn rice? Let me know!