Rice, in its pure form, is gluten-free. The problem you can run into with rice is the way it’s cooked, or rather what it’s cooked in. Many restaurants use chicken stock to cook their rice. Some chicken stocks contain gluten, so any rice cooked in such stocks is not gluten-free. Always ask about how rice is cooked when dining out unless you are ordering rice off a gluten-free menu. I’ve run into rice cooked in gluten-containing stocks when dining out more times than I can count. Since I always ask about rice before ordering, I’ve never unknowingly ordered any that contains gluten.
Another way to find gluten in rice in restaurants is in a sauce that is added to it. Sometimes it is possible to order safe, plain rice with no sauce and sometimes it’s not. It depends on whether the rice comes in a bag already in the sauce or if the sauce is made in-house and added to plain rice. Even when the latter happens, all the rice and sauce might be mixed up before each shift, so there is still no way to order plain gluten-free rice. It is quite annoying not to be able to have something as simple as rice when dining out, but it’s often a problem. Never assume anything is gluten-free when dining out.
Several rice products available at the grocery store contain gluten. At last check, every Rice-A-Roni product contained wheat. Don’t ask me why – the amount of products that companies add wheat to is mind-boggling. Lundberg Farms makes many wonderful gluten-free rice meals. Our house favorite is Creamy Parmesan Risotto. Tasty Bites makes several rice products that are gluten-free. They even make microwavable rice pouches that are ready in only 90 seconds. Both Lundberg and Tasty Bites’ gluten-free products are marked as such. Most of the Publix rice products are gluten-free but are not marked as such. Many of Uncle Ben’s rice products are gluten-free, but they were not labeled that way the last time I checked them at the store. As always, if the products are not marked gluten-free, a label reading is required.
Other brands that make some gluten-free rice products include (but are not limited to) Mahatma, Minute Rice, Thai Kitchen, Rice Select, and Ortega. Most of the gluten-free products from these lines are not labeled gluten-free so you have to read the labels to make sure you get a gluten-free product. When gluten is used in a rice product, it is generally in the form of wheat, which is legally required to be listed on the label. Therefore, hidden gluten is usually not a problem in rice products. There are a couple of items that list malt in the ingredients. The malt in these items is almost always barley malt, which should be avoided.
Labels on rice are some of the easiest to read and understand, in terms of what is and is not gluten-free. Rice pasta and rice noodles are also generally gluten-free and the ingredients in those are usually rice, rice bran, and water. Again, the labels for these are typically very easy to read and understand. Enjoy your rice, rice meals, and rice pasta. Luckily, these days there are plenty of safe options to choose from!
I would like to know how to cook gluten free rice.
Rice is naturally gluten-free as noted above. Just cook it like you’ve always cooked rice 😉
Rice-A-Roni has wheat because of the RONI (pasta).
Yes, Rice-A-Roni has gluten in it which is why this post states that all rice mixes must be checked for ingredients.
A few years ago, Sephardic rabbis warned their congregations away from most white rice during passover, because the enriching material often is made from wheat flour. They determined that converted rice is ok.
When the product itself is “enriched rice,” are you sure that wheat has to be listed on the label?
Rich – I can only speak to rice sold in the U.S. ALL forms of wheat must be listed on all products which has been the law since January 2006. Barley and rye are a different story, but it’s illegal for companies not to list wheat present in products sold in the U.S., including imported items that are sold here.
Rick – I think you’re right. I was getting very sick from enriched white rice, but the packaging doesn’t list wheat as an ingredient. (Whole Foods 365 Enriched Calrose Rice)
I got sick from that same rice, too. I only eat Lundberg Family Farms now.
I love rice, though some of the ingredients that go into the products, when they are packaged are not. Tried Uncle Bens rice, one packet had gluten stated on it, so never purchased this.
Whenever out shopping even before I was diagnosed with Ceoliac Disease, I always checked packs of food for hidden dangerous foods.
In other words, if I go to buy a bag of rice and no where on the label does it says that it is packaged in a wheat and melt free facility–basically there is no label saying there are traces of gluten or wheat present, then that rice is gluten and wheat free?
No that is not always the case, sometimes you need to check with the manufacture of the product, to confirm if it is safe.
Companies do not always have to state what, their products contain if the do not want to. Though it would be great if they where made to list all allergy warnings.
Do you know if the rice at Osake Buffet is gluten free
Question does Chinese Jasmine Rice and Japanese Calrose rice have Gluten?
Jasmine rice I think in a no? Not sure why do you know?
Is it ok to cook rice in my own natural chicken broth after I have boiled chicken?
Thanks for the responses on rice. I know you all probably know this but soy sauce has hidden gluten.
I am still learning g free only 11 months now, after many years of symptoms, finally my life has changed. I know that is the story of many people out there!