List of rice cultivars facts for kids

Rice can come in many shapes, colours and sizes.

This is a list of rice cultivars, also known as rice varieties. There are several species of grain called rice. Asian rice (Oryza sativa) is most widely known and most widely grown, with two major subspecies (indica and japonica) and over 40,000 varieties. Also included in this list are varieties of African rice (Oryza glaberrima) and wild rice (genus Zizania).

Rice may vary in genetics, grain length, color, thickness, stickiness, aroma, growing method, and other characteristics, leading to many cultivars. For instance, over nine major rice cultivars exist to make sake alone. The two subspecies of Asian rice, indica and japonica, can generally be distinguished by length and stickiness. Indica rice is long-grained and unsticky, while japonica is short-grained and glutinous.

Rice can also be divided based on processing type into the two broad categories of brown and white. Brown rice is whole grain, with only the inedible hull of the seed removed, while white rice additionally has the bran and germ removed through the process of milling. Milled rice may not necessarily actually be white in color; there are purple, black, and red variants of rice, which can be eaten whole grain or milled.

The cultivars listed in this article may vary in any number of these characteristics, and most can be eaten whole grain or milled (brown or white). However, there are often strong cultural preferences for one or the other, depending on variety and region.

North American varieties

• Texas rice
• Texmati
• Brazos
• Gulfrose
• Madison
• Pecos
• Rico
• Wild rice (Zizania aquatica)

California varieties

• California New Variety rice
• Calhikari-201
• Calmati-201
• Calmochi rice
• Caloro
• Calrose rice
• Calusa
• Nishiki rice
• Wehani rice

Canadian varieties

• Northern Wild rice (also known as Canadian Wild rice (Zizania palustris))

Carolina varieties

• Carolina Gold
• Charleston Gold

Texas varieties

• Texas rice
• Texas wild rice (Zizania texana)

Louisiana varieties

• Blue Rose
• Earl
• Mercury
• Nato
• Pecan rice
• Popcorn rice
• Vista

African varieties

• Abakaliki rice
  • Grown in the states of Abakaliki and Ebonyi in eastern Nigeria
  • Cultivated thrice a year
  • Sweet and easy to cook
• African rice
• Ekpoma rice
• New Rice for Africa
• Ofada rice
  • Grown in Ofada, Nigeria
  • Aromatic

Australian varieties

Rice being grown in Australia

• Doongara
  • semi-dwarf long grain, hard cooking (high amylose)
• Illabong
  • semi-dwarf arborio style
• Koshihikari
  • tall short grain Japonica style
• Kyeema
  • tall long grain, fragrant
• Langi
  • semi-dwarf long grain, soft jade cooking (low amylose)
• Opus
  • semi-dwarf short grain Japonica style
• Reiziq
  • semi-dwarf medium grain
• Sherpa
  • semi-dwarf medium grain
• Topaz
  • semi-dwarf fragrant long grain

Bangladeshi varieties

Bhutanese varieties

A single grain of Bhutanese red rice

• Bhutanese red rice

Burmese varieties

• Midon (မြီးတုံး)
• Paw hsan hmwe
• Emahta (ဧည့်မထ)
• Letyezin
• Ngasein (ငစိန်)
• Byat (ဗြတ်)
• Black glutinous rice
• White glutinous rice

Cambodian varieties

• Bonla Pdao (បន្លាផ្ដៅ)
• Cammalis – extra long jasmine rice
• Long Rice
• Neang Khon (នាងខុន)
• Neang Minh (នាងមិញ) – long grain rice
• Phka Khnhei (ផ្កាខ្ញី) – fragrant variety, phka meaning "flower"
• Phkar Malis (ផ្កាម្លិះ) – Cambodia Jasmine Rice
• Senchey Brand, សែនជ័យ ប្រេន is a Low glycemic Index Rice (GI=55) (, medium grain, photosensitive period, traditional seeds
• Senkraob (សែនក្រអូប)
  • Won the National Best Rice Award in 2017 have been certified as Medium Glycemic Index (GI) of 62 based on rigorous testing performed by Temasek Polytechnic Glycemic Index Research Unit (GIRU)
• Phka Romdul (ផ្ការំដូល)
• Red Rice (ស្រូវក្រហម)
• White rice (ស្រូវសោ)
• Sen Pi Dao (សែនពិដោ)
• Riang cheay(រាំងជ័យ)
• Srauv Pong Rolork (ស្រូវ ពងរលក)
• Srauv Ha Mort (ស្រូវ ហាមាត់)
• Srauv IR (រស្រូវអីអ៊ែរ)

Chinese varieties

• Black Asian
• Manchurian Wild rice (Zizania latifolia)
• Oryza rufipogon
• Ponlai [ja]
• Wuchang [ja]

Dominican varieties

• Cristal 100
• Idiaf 1
• Inglés Corto
• Inglés Largo
• Juma 57
• Juma 58
• Juma 66
• Juma 67
• Prosequisa 4
• Prosequisa 5
• Prosequisa 10
• Toño Brea
• Yocahú CFX-18

French varieties

• Camargue red rice

Greek varieties

• Blue Rose
• Carolina
• Glassé
• Nychaki
• Parboiled

Indian varieties

Two cultivars of rice from India compared: khyma (left) and basmati (right)

Until 1970, India had about 110,000 varieties of rice and now it has about 6,000 varieties.

Rice varieties of Punjab and Haryana

Basmati and premium non-basmati rice grows in Punjab and Haryana region of India, such as:

• Traditional Basmati Rice
• Basmati 30,31
• PUSA Basmati Rice
• 1121 Basmati Rice
• 1509 Basmati Rice
• 1718 Basmati Rice
• Sugandha Rice
• Sharbati Rice
• RH-10 Rice
• Parmal 11 or PR11 Rice
• Parmal 14 or PR14 Rice
• Parmal 47 or PR 47 Rice
• Parmal 106 or PR 106 Rice

Rice varieties of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh are home to hundreds of rice varieties, such as:

Rice varieties of Karnataka

Rice varieties of Odisha

De-husked and milled Kalanamak rice in India

• Nalihati (non-aromatic)
• Padmakeshari (aromatic)
• Kalamoti (aromatic)
• Balami (aromatic)
• Kalajiri (aromatic)
• Tulasibasa (aromatic)
• Pimpudibasa (aromatic)
• Swarna (non-aromatic)
• Nalabainsi (non-aromatic)
• Pateni (non-aromatic)

Rice varieties of Kerala

Rice varieties of Tamil Nadu

Rice varieties of Telangana

• Indur Samba
• Bathukamma
• RNR 15048 or Telangana Sona or Karnataka Sona
• Improved Samba Mahsuri

West Bengal rice varieties

There are possibly up to 82,700 varieties of rice extant in India, and of those more than 5000 were found in West Bengal. However, only 150 of them are commonly grown. Many are grown organically to compete with more modern cultivars. The Agricultural Training Centre of West Bengal exists to conserve and promote the use of folk rice varieties, including many listed below.

Indonesian rice varieties/landraces

In Indonesia, there are at least 45 varieties of rice for wet-field production (sawah) and 150 varieties of rice for dry-field production.

Iranian varieties

Many varieties of rice are cultivated in Iran. A few of them are listed below.

• Ambarboo
• Binam
• Domsiah
• Gerdeh
• Gharib
• Hasan Sarai
• Hasani
• Hashemi
• Kamfiruzi
  • Grown in Fars Province along the Kor River
• Lenjan
  • Grown in Isfahan Province along the Zayandeh Rud River
• Salari
• Sang Tarom
• Tarom
• Tarom Roushan
• tarom omid

Italian varieties

Maratelli rice before harvest in Italy

Japanese varieties

Malaysian varieties

Nepali varieties

• Basmati
• Kalopatle
• Jumli Marshi
• Pokhareli Jethobudho
• Kachorwa - 4
• Kachorwa - 8
• Tilki
• Tilki - 4
• Tilki - 8
• Tilki - 12
• Kariya Parewapwankh
• Barkhe 1027
• Barkhe 2014
• Anamol Masuli
• Kalo Nuniya
• Shyamjira
• Saathi
• Kalo Jhinuwa
• Kalo Jira
• Ghiupuri
• Sunaulo Sugandha
• Sarju 52
• Radha 4

Kalopatle

Jumli Marshi

Pokhareli Jethobudho

Pakistani varieties

Philippine varieties

Balatinaw (or Balatinao), an heirloom black rice from Mountain Province, Philippines

Portuguese varieties

• Ariete
• Arroz da terra
• Carolino
• Ponta rubra
• Valtejo

Sri Lankan varieties

Spanish varieties

Bomba rice

• Albufera (premium pearly round rice)
• Bahia (pearly round rice)
• Balilla x Sollana (pearly round rice)
• Bomba (premium pearly round rice)
• Fonsa (pearly round rice)
• Gleva (pearly round rice)
• Guadiamar (crystalline medium rice)
• J.Sendra (pearly round rice)
• Marisma (pearly round rice)
• Puntal (crystalline long rice)
• Senia (pearly round rice)

Taiwanese varieties

• Penglai Rice [zh]
• Taichung 65

Thai varieties

Jasmine rice from Thailand

• Black glutinous rice
• Jasmine rice
• Red Cargo rice
• Riceberry
• White glutinous rice

Vietnamese varieties

• Dự Hương Rice
• Nàng Thơm Chợ Đào Rice
  • grown in Mỹ Lệ commune, Cần Đước district, Long An province
• Nếp cái hoa vàng
  • grown in Nam Dinh province
• Nếp cẩm Rice
• Nếp Tú Lệ
• Tài Nguyên Rice
  • grown in Long An province
• Tám Xoan Rice
  • grown in Hải Hậu district, Nam Dinh province
• ST24 Rice - Top 3 the world best rice awarded 2018
• ST25 Rice - The 1st the world best rice awarded 2019
  • Cultivating in Soc Trang Province - Mekong Delta Area (Southern Vietnam), researching and developing by Mr.Hồ Văn Cua (Agricultural Engineer) and his team.
    • Long grain rice with fragrant, soft, best tasty.