Botanically, rice belongs to the common rice subspecies in the subgenus of common cultivated rice-undergraduate rice, which is divided into indica rice and japonica rice. Indica rice is processed from indica rice and japonica rice is processed from japonica rice.

Indica rice is long in grain shape, more than 3 times wide, flat, short, sparse in hair, generally awnless, thin in rice husk, white in belly, less in hard grains, fragile in processing, and low in rice yield. Japonica rice is large and short in grain shape, about twice as long as its width, with long and dense hairs, long awn, thick rice husk, small or no white belly, many hard grains and high rice yield.

2. Appearance and shape

Indica rice is generally oval or slender, and japonica rice is oval. Although indica rice is oval, it is not as round as japonica rice.

3. Requirements for broken rice

Broken rice is easy to be produced when indica rice is processed, so the requirements for broken rice content are different. The broken rice standard of polished rice should not exceed 15%, and the excellent indica rice should not exceed 30%.

4. Nutrition and taste.

There are great differences between indica rice and japonica rice in nutritional composition and taste. The protein content of indica rice is above 8%, while that of japonica rice is only 7%. The gel consistency of japonica rice should be above 70, and that of indica rice should be above 60. So japonica rice is obviously more sticky than indica rice.

Japonica rice nutrition

Although protein accounts for only 7% of japonica rice, it is still an important source of protein due to its large consumption. Japonica rice contains essential amino acids, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, B vitamins and other nutrients.