admin | April 25, 2016
This week’s story from Benin talks about parboiling rice. So does our Script of the Week.
Parboiling is a technique for processing rice that involves soaking the paddy overnight, followed by a short period of steaming. Parboiling increases the quantity and quality of rice because it reduces the number of grains that break during milling. Plus, it creates physical and chemical changes in the grain that make it more nutritious and easier to sell and cook.
Though parboiling is a traditional practice in many parts of West Africa, it has recently become a new income-generating activity that appeals to rural women in rice-growing areas. With this increased interest, it’s important that farmers learn about improved parboiling techniques. For example, farmers must pay close attention to cleaning and washing the rice before boiling and steaming. Also, in traditional methods, the lower layers of the paddy are often left soaking in the water during steaming, which results in reduced quality and reduced nutritional value. The improved method ensures that the rice stays above the water during steaming with the use of a parboiler.
This script is a mini-drama which talks about the benefits of parboiling rice. Two ways to use the script are by simply adapting the drama for your audience, or using it as inspiration to produce your own mini-drama on rice production and processing in your area.