Did you know that wild rice…?
- Is the Minnesota state grain, but it’s not a grain. It is a seed, Zizania aquatic or Zizania palustris.
- Was a staple food for Native Americans in the northeast and is now grown and harvested extensively in Minnesota and California. Wild rice growers in Minnesota still adhere by law to the ancient ways used by the Native Americans.
- The seed will last indefinitely when properly treated and stored because it is virtually fat free.
- Compared to regular white rice, wild rice yields very small crops for the effort; white rice yields 4000 to 6000 lbs. and wild rice only yields 100 to 200 lbs. per crop year.
- You can feed a crowd with a small amount of wild rice since 1 cup of dry wild rice will give you 3 to 4 cups of cooked wild rice.
- Wild rice is richer in antioxidants than other rice and one cup dry rice has 160 calories and 10 grams of fiber. It has twice the protein of brown rice, is high in B vitamins, manganese, zinc, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
- The chewy texture and nutty, robust taste make it a favorite in fine dining cuisine. It is very versatile and can be used in many dishes just as any other grain. Try it as a side dish by itself, in a salad, pilaf, stuffing or soup.