A BUYER'S GUIDE TO THE MANY TYPES OF RICE.

Byline: Alan Sverdlik Special to the Daily News

The rice lover's lexicon used to consist of white and brown, but that's no longer true. If your supermarket doesn't carry the rice you're looking for, check an ethnic market, health-food store or farmers' market. Here's a rundown on rice types:

Aromatic rice: The name given to numerous varieties that have a strong, nutty aroma.

Basmati rice: An aromatic rice grown mostly in India and Pakistan and renowned for its long, slender shape.

Brown rice: All white rice was once brown. Brown rice has only the inedible outer hull or husk removed. The color is tan, the flavor nutty, the texture chewy. It is more nutritious than enriched white rice, with twice as much fiber, five times the vitamin E and three times the magnesium.

Glutinous rice: Also known as sticky, waxy or sweet rice; most often used in desserts. The grains are round or long and have a high percentage of amylopectin, the starch that makes the grains stick together when they are cooked. It is popular in East Asian cuisine.

Italian rice: Arborio, vialone nano, carnaroli and padano are the most popular rices grown in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions of Italy. Technically, they are medium-grain and have a high level of amylopectin and a large central core that cooks firm to the bite, or al dente. These varieties are used to make risotto.

Jasmine rice: An aromatic long-grain rice originally grown in Thailand. Distinguished by its fragrance and a water milling process that leaves the grains silken to the touch, jasmine rice is being grown successfully in the United States. The grains are similar in size to long-grain rice but cook up moist and tender, like a medium-grain rice.

Long-grain rice: Considered long-grain if it is three or more times as long as it is wide. It is higher in the starch amylose; therefore, the grains cook up separate and fluffy. Carolina, aromatic, basmati and their brown counterparts all are in this broad category.

Medium-grain rice: Varieties that are less than two times as long as they are wide. This rice is high in amylopectin, and the grains cook up moist, tender and slightly sticky. Rices grown in Italy and Spain are medium-grain.

Parboiled or converted rice: Rice that has been steam-pressure-treated before milling, forcing all the nutrients from the bran layer into the endosperm. The rice is firm and separate when cooked. Converted rice, which undergoes the same process as parboiled, is a trademark of Uncle Ben's.

Pecan rice: Grown in Louisiana, it has a pecanlike aroma and flavor. Often used in pilafs or stuffings served with grilled poultry, pork or fish.

Popcorn rice: When it's cooking, this fluffy rice's smell is indistinguishable from popcorn. Used in pilafs or rice salads.

Precooked, quick or instant rice:Rice that has been milled, completely cooked and dried.

Rizcous: The name of a product produced at Lundberg Family Farms in California. These are broken grains of brown rice that resemble a popular semolina product called couscous.

Short-grain rice: Considered short-grain if the length is less than two times the width. The cooked rice is softer and stickier than medium-grain rice. In Japan, it is known as sushi rice.

Texmati rice: Called American basmati, Texmati is a hybrid of aromatic rice and long-grain varieties. Like basmati, it has a light texture and nutty flavor and aroma. It is delicious in pilafs and Indian dishes and is available as a white or brown rice.

Valencia rice: A medium-grain rice grown in the province of Valencia, Spain, and available in specialty food shops. It is a soft rice, similar to Italian rices, that soaks up flavors but retains a firm core when cooked. A favorite rice in paella.

Wehani rice: A brown rice with a rust-brown bran layer that splits when the rice is cooked. Each grain resembles a cooked grain of wild rice, but with an earth-red color. Considered an aromatic rice and related to basmati, wehani is produced by Lundberg Family Farms.

Wild rice: The seed of an aquatic grass, rather than a variety of rice. Usually used in combination with other kinds of rice.