Rice mill facts for kids
A rice mill is a special factory where paddy (which is rice still in its husk) is turned into the white rice we eat. These factories make sure the rice is clean and ready to be sold in stores. They use modern machines to clean, process, and sort the rice. This makes sure the rice is safe and good to eat.
Contents
Getting the Paddy
Before any processing starts, paddy is gathered from farms. This is the raw rice, still covered in its outer shell. Teams carefully check each bag of paddy. They make sure it is good quality before storing it in special areas.
How Rice is Made
Making rice involves several steps. It starts with cleaning the paddy. Then, it goes through soaking, boiling, and drying. After that, the outer layers are removed.
Cleaning the Paddy
First, the paddy needs to be very clean. A special machine removes dirt and other bits. This cleaned paddy is then stored in large bins.
Soaking and Boiling
Next, the cleaned paddy moves into big stainless steel tanks. It gets soaked in water. After soaking, the water is drained away. The wet paddy is then boiled using steam. This boiling step helps make the rice stronger and easier to process.
Drying the Paddy
After boiling, the wet paddy needs to be dried. It goes into a special dryer made of stainless steel. Hot air is used to dry the paddy. This hot air comes from a heat exchanger. This method keeps the rice's natural smell. It also makes sure no smoke touches the rice. Once dry, the paddy is ready for the next steps.
Removing the Husk and Bran
The dried paddy is cleaned again to remove any small stones. Then, it goes into a machine called a sheller. This machine takes off the outer covering, which is called the husk. The husk can even be used as fuel for the boiler!
After the husk is gone, the rice moves to a whitener. Here, a thin layer called the bran is removed. The bran is collected separately. The whitener makes the rice look white. Finally, a silky polisher makes the rice smooth and shiny.
Sorting and Packing
After polishing, the rice is checked again. A machine called a destoner removes any tiny stones. Another machine separates any broken rice grains.
Color Sorting
The polished rice then goes through a colour sorter. This machine uses light to find and remove any grains that are not perfect. It can spot black, yellow, or discolored rice. This ensures only the best grains go through.
Packing the Rice
Finally, the processed rice is ready. It is packed into large woven bags. These bags are then sent out to be sold in markets.
