They are all the seeds of the gramineous plant rice. According to their stickiness, they can be divided into japonica rice, indica rice and glutinous rice. Japonica rice is denser in texture. The starch contains more amylopectin, the rice has less swelling and strong stickiness, and tastes better than indica rice. Most people like to eat japonica rice, but it is harder to digest than indica rice. Indica rice is looser and contains more amylose in its starch. The rice is more swollen and less sticky, making it easier to digest and absorb. Glutinous rice can be divided into indica glutinous rice and japonica glutinous rice. The rice quality is waxy white and opaque, and some are translucent (commonly known as yin glutinous rice). The starch in glutinous rice is all amylopectin, which is very sticky and difficult to digest and absorb. It is not suitable for staple food, but suitable for various non-staple foods and pastries.

Both indica rice and japonica rice can be divided into early, late and late according to different growth periods. Generally speaking, the quality of early rice is looser than that of late rice. Poor pressure resistance. It is brittle during processing, and the rice has poor stickiness and taste. Indica rice is mainly late rice. The quality is better. The phosphorus content of japonica rice is slightly higher than that of glutinous rice, while the dextrin content is lower than that of glutinous rice.

Glutinous rice is sweet and warm in nature. "Compendium of Materia Medica" states: "It nourishes the spleen and stomach. It is the valley of beneficial lung qi. If the spleen and stomach are nourished, the middle will be warm and the stool will be firm. Warming can nourish qi and make the qi full." If the body has excessive heat, it is probably suitable for those with spleen and lung deficiency. "It can be seen that glutinous rice can strengthen the spleen and stop diarrhea, warm the middle and replenish qi."