Wild Rice

[Linc]

...    Mouse will try the wild rice bread-looked up recipe and think the blend I have is worth a try, thank you also for the recipes!  Look out Red Badger, veggies on the way!!

I don't mind vegetables as long as the meat to vegetable ratio is 50 to 1 ....

Badger, I am with you. Gotz ta have lotza  meat. Lots of rice helps too. Oh how I love rice. LOL.

[voyageur1688]

 Lotsa meat, REAL wild rice an a few other things tossed in and ya got a good meal.
Voy

[William]

Only occurring in the upper two miles of the San Marcos river here in South Texas is a strain of wild rice; http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/endang/plants/twildric.phtml

It was first described in 1892 when cattle were observed submerging their heads in the river to graze on the plants.  Being difficult to grow outside the confines on the crystal clear river, scientists at Southwest Texas State University are crossing it with other more abundant strains of wild rice which are not known to grow in Texas.

OK, to make a short story long, what regions of North America would wild rice be likely to be found?  Would it be a good food to take with you on a trek?
Just some of my musings.
Answered my own questions;

Zizania aquatica, Gramineae
The seed of an aquatic plant originally from North America, specifically the Great Lakes region. Highly sought after, wild rice is expensive. Grains of wild rice acquire their blackish color after being hulled, cleaned and dried. They have a fairly strong, nutty flavor and a crunchy texture.

Preparing?
Wash the wild rice to remove any foreign matter. If the grains have not been hulled already, they can be spread on a cookie sheet and dried for 2-3 hr in a 200°F (95°C) oven, stirring them occasionally, or leave them 2-3 days in a warm place. They can also be dried in a pan, stirring continuously. Hull them by beating or rubbing the grains; the light husk will separate from the grain. Dry these again for 1 hr in the oven at 250°F (120°C).

Serving Ideas?
Wild rice accompanies poultry, seafood and game. It is served by itself or mixed with other types of rice. Cooked wild rice is used in stuffings and crepes. It works well with mushrooms, vegetables, fruit and nuts. It can be popped like corn or milled into flour.

Cooking?
Boiled in water or stock: soak wild rice for several hours or quick-soak for 1 hr. In a pot, put 4 parts of water for 1 part of rice and bring to a boil; add the rice then let it boil for 5 min; remove from the heat. Cover and leave to soak for 1 hr. Drain. Put the pot back on the heat, add 3 times its volume in water (or less if a drier rice is desired), add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender (about 20 min). ?
Avoid overcooking wild rice. ?
The cooking time for unsoaked grains is ?about 40 min (cook the rice in 3 times its volume of water).

Nutritional Information


cooked
water 73.9%
protein 4 g
fat 0.3 g
carbohydrates 21.3 g
per 3.5 oz/100 g
Good source: zinc.?
Contains: magnesium, folic acid, niacin, potassium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, copper and riboflavin.?
Wild rice is highly nutritious. It contains a greater quantity and better quality of proteins than regular rice, as it contains more lysine.

[NAULTRICK1]

  Wild rice stuffed partridge....YUMMMMM