Wild rice sustained native tribes in the Ontario and Minnesota lake areas for thousands of years. The Ojibwe (Chippewa) tribes called it "mahnoomin" which roughly translates to "gift from the creator." It was grown in flood areas and harvested by hand with canoes. These people roasted it in kettles over wood fires, loosened the hulls by dancing on the rice in soft moccasins, and winnowed out the chaff by tossing the rice in birch baskets.

Wild rice, "zizania aquatica" or "zizania palustris", is elongated like rice but it is not closely related to it. Wild rice grows in water but it is not a grain, it is a seed from an aquatic grass. It is, however, cooked and used in many of the same ways as rice and true grains.

"Lake rice" refers to true wild rice and it thrives where lakes and marshes have muddy bottoms for the seeds to anchor and mild currants that won't wash them away. This annual grass has strong, hollow stems that can reach up to 10 feet high and leaves that grow both under and above water.

Wild rice is a difficult crop to grow and harvest and this is reflected in the price. It sprouts in May, matures slowly through the summer months, and is at its peak by early fall.

Harvesting has been made more efficient with airboats as they can cover large areas quickly and economically. The Saskatchewan Wild Rice Council Inc. is one of the world's largest producers of wild rice. Their product is naturally grown, ripened, cleaned, and packaged. There are no chemicals, pesticides, or fungicides used during the growing and ripening processes. This natural ripening takes longer than commercially grown rice because it is not artificially stimulated. The product is longer and plumper, with a richer taste and a higher nutrient content.

The air boats skim over the waters, passing gently through the rice stands, and collecting ripened kernels in specially designed trays. The rice is laid out to cure for 4—14 days, during which time the kernels harden and turn from green to brown or black. The nutty flavour is drawn out during this curing process. The wild rice is then transferred to parching drums and carefully roasted to reduce the moisture content to 10% and gelatinize the starch. Next the rice is hulled in cylindrical containers. Some processors remove a portion of the outer layer, called scarification, and this shortens the cooking time; other processors merely remove foreign materials and separate broken kernels with a machine called a "dimpler." The rice is then sent through a gravity table where forced air causes the rice to separate itself according to weight.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Wild rice has more protein and is higher in amino acids - lysine and methionine - than true grains. For those of you who count calories, half a cup of cooked wild rice has only 65 calories!

A COMPARISON OF WILD RICE AND WHITE RICE
	Canada Lake Wild Rice	Long Grain White Rice
Moisture	10.0%	10.0%
Protein	12.6%	8.7%
Fat	0.6%	0.9%
Ash	3.9%	2.0%
Crude fibre	1.3%	0.4%
Carbohydrates	71.6%	78.0%
MINERALS:
Calcium	0.04%	0.04%
Magnesium	0.10%	0.47%
Potassium	0.32%	0.10%
Phosphorus	0.34%	0.15%
Zinc(ppm)	38.01ppm	18.88ppm
Iron(ppm)	16.54ppm	8.70ppm
VITAMINS: (mg/100g)
Thiamine	0.45	0.07
Riboflavin	0.63	0.03
Niacin	6.20	1.16
(Source: Saskatchewan Wild Rice Council, Inc.)

BUYING, COOKING, AND STORING

Wild rice is available, usually in small packets or boxes, in some supermarkets, health food stores, and specialty shops. I recommend buying in bulk from our northern suppliers when possible. Contact Norm Bourassa (306) 242-0552 for Saskatchewan Wild Rice at $5.00/pound for an 11 pound box or $4.50/pound for a 50 pound bag to share with others.

Wild rice consistently cooks to quadruple volume so it is much more affordable than it appears. The grade of rice sometimes determines the price; all grades can be used interchangeably; broken rice is fine for soups. Look for other wild rice products such as flours, pasta, popped rice, and mixes.

Wild rice will keep indefinitely; store in a clean, dry place. Cooked wild rice, when stored in an airtight container, will stay fresh for 2 weeks in the refrigerator and it also freezes well.

The cooking time depends on whether you like your rice firm and chewy or "butterflied" and tender. Rinse wild rice in a strainer. Bring to a boil using 4 cups water to 1 cup rice. Cover and reduce heat to a gentle boil for 50—60 minutes. Add a drop of oil if desired to prevent boiling over. As it cooks the grains burst open, or "butterfly," revealing a soft grey interior. The texture is dense and a bit chewy. For extra fluffy rice let stand 30 minutes before draining. The water is usually absorbed, but if not, drain and reserve this nutrient dense broth for soups. One of my favourite breakfasts is reheated, well-cooked wild rice with butter and sea salt and a boiled egg!

Use wild rice with wild game, meats, poultry, fish, beans, mushrooms, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is extremely versatile and can also be used successfully with both subtle herbs and pungent spices. Wild rice is wonderful in casseroles, soups, salads, breads, muffins, pancakes, snacks, and even desserts. We often substitute some wild rice for wheat in blender pancakes. Try some in scrambled eggs or hash browns. Add to scrambled eggs just before cooking. Try reheated wild rice with milk of your choice, cream, sweetener, and cinnamon for a delicious, nutritious breakfast. Add cooked wild rice to condensed soups, use in place of white rice in cabbage rolls or any Chinese dish.

To cook wild rice and brown rice together, simply simmer the wild rice for 15 minutes and add the brown rice for the last 45 minutes of cooking.

Soak wild rice overnight before cooking to reduce cooking time if necessary.

RECIPES

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE SALAD*

A complete meal!

1 cup wild rice
1 tsp. chicken bouillon seasoning
4—8 ounces cooked chicken or turkey, cut in julienne strips
4 ounces cheddar cheese, julienned, or substitute rice or soy cheese for dairy-free
1 cup broccoli flowerets, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup pecan pieces
1 carrot, peeled, cut into thin rounds
1 red pepper, cut into strips or cubes
4 green onions, cut into thin rounds

Dressing:

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. tamari

Optional: dash of tabasco or other hot sauce

Rinse the wild rice with hot water and drain. Combine the rice with 3 cups of hot water as well as the chicken seasoning. Simmer, covered, for 35—40 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Cool. In a large mixing bowl toss rice with the turkey or chicken, cheese, broccoli, pecans, carrots, red pepper, and onions.

In a small bowl beat the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Pour over the salad and toss to mix well. Chill well. This salad keeps well in the fridge and makes 4—6 large servings.

MEATLOAF*

Mix 1-1/2 pounds of ground turkey or chicken, 1/2 cup of dry whole grain bread crumbs, 2 slightly beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp. sage, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1/2 cup Rice Dream or milk of your choice, and 1-1/2 tsp. sea salt.

In a separate bowl mix 1-1/2 cups cooked wild rice, l slightly beaten egg, 1/4 tsp. sage, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Press half of the meat mixture in the bottom of a loaf pan. Spread on the rice mixture and top with the remaining meat. Bake at 350º F for 1 hour. Serve with tomato sauce if desired.

WILD RICE CASSEROLE*

My favourite dish for pot luck dinners. Everyone loves it!

1/2 cup washed uncooked wild rice
1/2 cup washed uncooked brown rice
1/4 cup butter
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3-1/2 cups chicken broth
sea salt to taste
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage

Saute uncooked rice, onion, celery, and mushrooms in butter for 3—5 minutes. Place in 1-1/2 quart casserole and add hot chicken broth. Cover and bake at 325º F for 1-1/2 hours. Can be used as stuffing.

HONEY NUT WILD RICE BREAD**

A good, heavy, chewy bread!

1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour (I use ww. pastry flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground mace
3/4 cup milk (use Rice Dream for dairy free)
1-1/3 cups cooked wild rice

Heat oven to 325º F. Cream the butter and honey in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Stir in the cooked wild rice and nuts. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl, add to ingredients in large bowl alternately with milk, until smooth. Pour into buttered loaf pan and bake until toothpick can be withdrawn clean — about 50 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.

STIR FRIED WILD RICE***

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. arrowroot powder
1 cup cooked chopped meat (chicken, meat, shellfish)
1/2 tsp. Herbamare or other seasoning salt
5 cups cooked wild rice

Stir fry onions, celery, and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add cooked wild rice, meat, and seasoning salt. Mix water and arrowroot powder, add to above ingredients and heat until thickened. Serve.

– adapted from the Saskatchewan Wild Rice Council Inc.

* Nutrition, Cooking, and Healing by Paulette Millis, R.N.C.

** Alive Magazine #113

***Saskatchewan Wild Rice Council Inc.

References: Saskatchewan Wild Rice Council Inc.; Waves of Grain, Barbara Grunes and Virginia Van Vynckt; The Complete Whole Grain Cookbook, Carol Gelles.

The above information regarding nutritious food is not intended to replace any instruction from medical or health professionals.

Paulette Millis lives and works in Saskatoon as a nutritional consultant. Her cookbook, Nutrition, Cooking, and Healing, is available in health food stores or by calling (306) 244-8890. Check the Kelsey/SIAST calendars for Paulette's Nutritional Presentations.