Three Key Points for Successfully Making Sprouted Brown Rice

Hello! I’m Keisuke Ito. In this article, I will introduce you to a method of making sprouted brown rice at home effectively.

Sprouted brown rice is a superfood that has higher nutritional value and is easier to digest than regular brown rice, providing even more benefits!

Writing this article, I made sprouted brown rice from ‘Sawanohana’ brown rice at home.

It took 2.5 days to cook and every time I changed the water I could see the changes in the brown rice. It was lovely to see the small brown rice trying so hard to sprout!

I will introduce the benefits of sprouted brown rice, the specific steps to prepare, and the necessary cooking utensils.

I will also discuss the key points when washing rice and soaking the brown rice. Followed by some tips to promote sprouting, how to choose brown rice, and points to remember.

After reading, you will be able to make it at home!!

What is Sprouted Brown Rice?

What is the condition of Sprouted Brown Rice?

Sprouted brown rice refers to the condition where brown rice has sprouted. Brown rice is a seed of rice and it is said that the nutritional value becomes highest in its growth process, where the seed tries to sprout, and it has been attracting attention as a health food.

Sprouted brown rice has the following characteristics and benefits compared to brown rice.

• High Nutritional Value: Sprouted brown rice has a higher nutritional value than brown rice, and is rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and GABA.
• Easier to Digest and Absorb: The starch is broken down by sprouting, making it easier to digest and absorb.
• Delicious: The aroma and sweetness of the rice increase due to sprouting, making it easier to eat.

Thus, sprouted brown rice is packed with the “power of living rice,” and has many more benefits than regular brown rice or white rice. Now, let’s look at its nutritional value.

Nutritional Value and Effects of Sprouted Brown Rice

Five Nutrients in Sprouted Brown Rice

Sprouted brown rice contains more nutrients than regular brown rice.

Vitamins: Sprouted brown rice is rich in B vitamins and vitamin E.

 

B vitamins play a vital role in energy metabolism and maintaining nerve function. Specifically, vitamin B1 contributes to fatigue recovery and brain function improvement, and vitamin B6 helps reduce stress.

Minerals: Sprouted brown rice is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

These minerals aid in bone health, energy generation, and blood pressure control, and can expect skin health and beauty effects.

Iron: Sprouted brown rice is also rich in iron. Iron plays an important role in red blood cell production, oxygen transport, and immune enhancement.

Healthy iron intake is effective in preventing anemia and recovering from fatigue.

Dietary Fiber: Sprouted brown rice is also rich in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber promotes bowel movement and regulates the intestinal environment.

Additionally, dietary fiber has the effect of slowing the rise in blood sugar levels, so it can also expect to suppress sugar absorption.

GABA: The GABA contained in sprouted brown rice has the effect of soothing the mind and alleviating stress.

 

When stressed, GABA becomes deficient, increasing anxiety and irritation. GABA brings a relaxing effect in such situations.

Furthermore, it is expected to have effects such as sleep improvement, blood pressure adjustment, and pain relief, and muscle relaxation.

It’s amazing that the sprouted brown rice contains 3 times more GABA than brown rice, and 10 times more than white rice!

Adding sprouted brown rice to your regular meals allows for efficient intake of these nutrients, and you can expect the above-mentioned benefits!

As part of your healthy lifestyle, please add sprouted brown rice into your meals.

How to make sprouted brown rice

Preparation of sprouted brown rice

To make sprouted brown rice, you will need the following ingredients and kitchen tools.

1. Brown rice
2. Water
3. A strainer and a deep container
4. Rice cooker

Process of making sprouted brown rice

Ogata Rice Shop recommends as follows.

1. Washing: Transfer the brown rice to a strainer and wash it with water
2. Scrubbing: Scrub the brown rice against the mesh of the strainer
3. Soaking: Transfer the brown rice to a deep container and add plenty of water
4. Changing the water: Change the water every half a day
5. Sprouting: Wait for about 2-3 days for sprouting
6. Cooking: Cook like regular white rice

Three points on how to make sprouted brown rice

1: SOAKING

When scrubbing brown rice, it’s crucial to use a strainer. Scrubbing the brown rice against the strainer leads to small scratches on the surface of the rice, making it easier for the water to penetrate.

By adding plenty of water to a deep container, water pressure is applied to the brown rice and enhances water penetration.

2: SPROUTING

Change the water every 6 hours to half a day to keep it clean.

On hot days, odors can easily develop, so it’s important to change the water frequently.

From about a day after starting, bubbles will start to float on the water surface, but this is a sign of sprouting.

By the second day, a shoot will come out from the germ. If 50-60% of the rice has sprouted, it’s okay to cook.

3: COOKING

No need for pre-soaking before cooking. The water level and cooking should be done in “white rice mode”.

The cooked rice will be softer than brown rice and will have a popping texture.

Points to remember about sprouted brown rice

Avoid OVEREATING

Sprouted brown rice is high in nutritional value and is considered healthy, but overeating requires caution. Please pay attention to the following.

• Sprouted brown rice contains digestive enzymes, and overeating may cause indigestion or gastrointestinal discomfort.
• Depending on the person, a large amount of dietary fiber may stimulate the intestines or cause abdominal pain. Adjust the amount according to your physical condition and constitution.
• Although sprouted brown rice is a nutritious food, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet and consume an appropriate amount.

While enjoying the benefits of sprouted brown rice, keep up our healthy life!

Conclusion

In this article, we introduced how to make sprouted brown rice at home and its effects.

SUMMARY of this article

• Sprouted brown rice can be expected to have various health benefits such as beauty, dieting, prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, etc.
• The main effects of sprouted brown rice include improved absorption rate of vitamins and minerals, enhanced antioxidant activity, stabilization of blood sugar levels, and stress reduction.
• The process of making sprouted brown rice involves washing, soaking, changing water, germination period, and cooking. This is a bit of a labor-intensive process, so we’ve summarized the points so that even beginners can do it without fail.
• When incorporating sprouted brown rice into your meals, it’s important to pay attention to the amount and balance of what you eat.

In this way, sprouted brown rice can be easily made at home and is a superfood rich in vitamins, minerals, iron, dietary fiber, and GABA.

Please incorporate it into your diet for improving eating habits and maintaining health.

There is a wide variety of brown rice as well as white rice. Please enjoy comparing and try sprouted brown rice.

We will continue to share information all about RICE!

Thank you for reading to the end! Looking forward to next time! This was Keisuke Ito.

＞For the set of germinated and proven brown rice comparison, click here.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is sprouted brown rice?

A: Sprouted brown rice refers to the portion of brown rice that contains the germ, which is the most nutritious part. The germ is rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and is considered beneficial for health.

Q: Is it difficult to make sprouted brown rice?

A: Making sprouted brown rice is not difficult, but it’s important to follow the correct procedure. To maintain the appropriate temperature, humidity and time are crutial.

Q: Are there any tools required to make sprouted brown rice?

A: To make sprouted brown rice, you will need brown rice, a strainer, a deep container, and clean water. You can make it with the cooking utensils available at home.

Q: Is there a way to shorten the sprouting time?

A: Keeping the soaking water at 30°C can facilitate sprouting. However, make sure to change the water frequently to keep it clean.

Q: Is there a way to store germinated brown rice?

A: It is difficult to store sprouted brown rice in its raw condition, so we recommend consuming it as soon as possible. Normal brown rice can be stored in a sealed container in a dry place.

Q: How should I eat sprouted brown rice?

A: Sprouted brown rice can be used in various dishes such as mixed rice, ochazuke (tea on rice), salads, and rice balls. Because it is sprouted, it has a slightly sticky texture compared to regular brown rice.

Q: How does the nutritional value of sprouted brown rice compare to regular brown rice?

A:Sprouted brown rice has higher nutritional value compared to regular brown rice. The germ contains B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals, dietary fiber, and is considered good for health.

Also, in terms of GABA, it is said to have 3 times more than brown rice and 10 times more than white rice.

Q: How does the GABA work?

A: The GABA contained in sprouted brown rice exerts its effects when ingested through food or supplements.

When absorbed in the digestive organs, it reaches the central nervous system, where GABA acts as a neurotransmitter, promoting relaxation, improving sleep, and regulating blood pressure.

Q: I saw on the internet that there is brown rice that does not sprout, is that true?

Yes. There exist both “sprouted brown rice” and “non-sprouted brown rice” among brown rice varieties. The reason for non-sprouted lies in the drying process after the new rice harvest.

If the newly harvested rice is dried rapidly at high temperatures, the brown rice becomes unable to sprout. For more details, please wait for another article.

Moreover, it is very difficult to tell whether the particular brown rice would sprout or not, just by taking a look.

At Ogata Rice Shop, we have brown rice that has been confirmed to sprout. All the brown rice in the following comparison set will sprout, so don’t hesitate to contact us!

> Click here for the germinated, proven brown rice comparison set

 

Conclusion

We hope this Q&A has cleared up any questions about sprouted brown rice and made you feel like giving it a try!

While it takes a bit of effort to make sprouted brown rice, you can enjoy growing a superfood rich in vitamins, minerals, and GABA.

You can easily make it at home, so please experience its delicious taste and health benefits for yourself!

 

Written by Keisuke Itou
Translated by Yumiko Nagahashi