Bonnie: Whole grain rice is my preference. That’s mainly brown – although I also like black and red, which now are coming into vogue. So I was very excited when I first saw Village Harvest Brown Rice. It’s precooked, frozen and pourable.

When I had sampled it — along with their four other frozen options: Brown, Red, Wild Rice Medley; Quinoa; “Un” Fried Brown Rice; Spicy Thai Brown Rice — I found the grains of rice intact; not mushy, like overcooked and frozen brown rice could be. I learned from Joe Gozzi, the man behind the grains, that they use a cryogenic technology to freeze them at minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the integrity of the grains.

What I like is the brown rice’s clean labeling – with almost nothing added. There’s minimal sodium and fat, both found naturally in the grain plus a smidgen of rice bran oil.

I’ve been using the brown rice often lately as a grain base for thick lentil soups, hearty stews and chunky chili. I just pour a cup of the frozen rice into a bowl, then microwave it for about 45 seconds resulting in the flavor and texture of freshly simmered brown rice; I then add my soup, chili or stew. You can use it that way or as a quick base for any side dish

With others we’ve tested and recommended, such as Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice you needed to make the entire pouch. That rice also had a smidgen of oil added.

With Village Harvest, just pour, heat and serve the amount you want. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Bryan: Bite of the Best is all about easy starches. If you didn’t know, now you know, foodie. Though we’ve written about a few EZ-cook side dishes in the past, the wonderfully inventive American boutique food market continues to produce an ever-greater variety of quality options. So what are we to do? Call it quits after one good rice dish is unearthed? No, we must go on, we must be diligent, we must bring you the next great thing in food before we bring you the nextest great thing in food.

Today is about whole grains, brown rice to be exact. As I’ve bemoaned many times before, I love rice, but I hate waiting. Why wait when you can pour, heat and eat? Village Harvest told me I could, and they were right.

The company behind Village Harvest (Otis McAllister) has been artfully crafting rice products since 1892, setting standards along the way for quality grains that offered traditional authenticity, as well as taste and nutrition.

Today, Village Harvest is based in San Francisco. The company originally imported and sold rice directly from its traditional sources, including Thai Jasmine Rice, Indian Basmati and Italian Arborio. With success, the company added brown and organic choices, as well as Golden Quinoa and Sprouted GABA Rice to the line. Long story short: These guys know their rice.

Though steeped in a long tradition, Village Harvest is not afraid to look to the future. The company now offers frozen, precooked, pourable whole grains produced with cutting-edge technology. Simply heat these futuristic grains anytime, however you choose to enjoy “freshly” simmered grains (microwave works, but so does a small pot making it easier to season). It is beyond simple, and even better, it’s a quality tasting product.

The brown rice is cooked before it’s cryogenically frozen to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, helping to keep every single grain intact. Just so you can properly compare, normal freezing temperatures for supermarket grains is around -40° F. Village Harvest is going below and beyond! But it’s more than just a technology gimmick; it’s tasty food. The brown rice is almost sweet on the palate with an earthy, nutty flavor finishing if off. The chewiness is just perfect, and it works with almost anything you want to make. Village Harvest has taken frozen rice to the next level.

Eric: Food designed to be prepared easily and provide health benefits is an ideal combination — and with the advent of food-storage technology, this ideal combination has become more available to the average supermarket consumer.

Village Harvest isn’t a pioneer in the field of ready-made frozen rice; however, their product is a step above the rest. In the past we’ve touted Birdseye and Uncle Ben’s, and with good reason: The ease of preparation for their quality rice made us realize how essential they are in creating a fast, healthy, delicious meal. Village Harvest, whose parent company has provided grains since 1892, has also joined the ranks, offering a whole-grain, frozen, pourable brown rice.

Preparing brown rice as a side dish or as the canvas for a meal has never been easier (or healthier). The Village Harvest brown rice is ready in minutes, has the integrity of rice that has been cooked on the stove top and provides the nutrition lacking in most readily consumable starches. Who knew rice could be so trendy….

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