It is called parboiled because the rice undergoes partially boiling process while it is still in the husk.

So before the rice is milled and packed, rice varieties for parboiling are then separated. Parboiling the rice is milled just like the regular white rice however it has three basic steps which are: soaking, steaming, and drying.

Because of its process, parboiled rice is similar to brown rice when it comes to nutritional values. Plus it is less sticky and firmer compared to white rice.

The three main steps of parboiling are :

Soaking: Raw, unhusked rice, also called paddy rice, is soaked in warm water to increase the moisture content.

Steaming: The rice is steamed until the starch converts into a gel. The heat of this process also helps kill bacteria and other microbes.

Drying: The rice is slowly dried to reduce the moisture content so that it can be milled.

Parboiling changes the color of rice to a light yellow or amber, which differs from the pale, white color of regular rice. Still, it’s not as dark as brown rice