Brown rice

Rinse it under cold water, then simmer one part rice with about two parts water, covered, for 35–45 minutes. Leave it to stand off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork; follow the packet directions if they give a different water ratio.

No, but soaking it for 30 minutes or longer can shorten the cooking time and help the grains cook more evenly. Drain it well and use fresh cooking water.

Cool it quickly, ideally within an hour, and refrigerate it in a shallow, covered container. Use it within 24 hours and reheat it only once, until steaming hot throughout.

Yes. Cool it quickly, portion it into airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze; for best quality, use within a month. Reheat from frozen until steaming hot, adding a splash of water to loosen the grains.

Use it in rice bowls, pilafs, stuffed peppers and vegetable-studded fried rice. Its nutty flavour also works well with lentil dhal, roasted vegetables and sauces or stews that benefit from a grain with a little bite.

Usually, but allow more cooking time and water: brown rice keeps its bran layer, so it stays chewier and takes longer to soften. It is a poor direct swap in recipes where short-grain white rice needs to become sticky, such as sushi.

Brown rice is wholegrain rice: it retains the bran and germ that are removed from white rice. The term “wholegrain rice” can also cover other rice varieties, so it does not always mean brown long-grain rice specifically.

Brown rice has 3.8 g of fibre per 100 g. The bran is retained, which gives it more fibre than polished white rice.

It has a gently nutty, toasted flavour and a firmer, chewier texture than white rice. That makes it especially good with earthy ingredients such as mushrooms, beans and squash.