Dulce DeIson
Blog #3: Compare & Contrast
English 105
November 25, 2013
A
Comparison of Panamanian Rice & Mexican Rice
This week I’m going to
write about Panamanian rice (Arroz con Pollo) and how it differs from traditional
Mexican rice that many people are familiar with. It’s not just that I grew up eating Panamanian
rice that makes me have a preference towards it, but that it’s also been proven to be
healthier for you!
I’m certain that most people in my target audience have
sampled Mexican style rice before.
Typical Mexican rice starts with a long-grain rice and the liquid
component of the dish is either water or water with chicken bouillon cubes. Fresh vegetables such as diced carrots, minced
garlic, and chopped onions are combined with bay leaves and serrano chilies or
chili powder to develop the flavor and heat profile of the rice. Mexican rice gets its distinct red color from
the inclusion of tomato paste in the recipe and many recipes include peas to
add color, texture and nutrients to the dish.
Panamanian rice is healthier for you because it contains
a lot of organic vegetables such as fresh cabbage, carrots, cilantro, garlic,
onions, colorful peppers, and ripe Roma tomatoes; the liquid component of
Panamanian rice comes in the form of fresh chicken broth and contains no
preservatives. Typically, the chicken is
boiled with garlic and onions just prior to cooking the rice so that the broth used
in the preparation of the rice is very flavorful and fresh. With respect to the vegetables, the cabbage
is julienned, the carrots are grated, the garlic is minced; the remaining
vegetables are chopped to a small dice and the dish is finished with some green
olives and fresh, aromatic cilantro on top.
The various cuts of vegetables gives the completed dish a wide of
textures to enjoy and is really the ingredient that sets Panamanian rice apart
from the rest. The fresh, organic vegetables
give the rice its natural orange / red color and unique flavor, and the
combination of those, along with the medium-grain rice and chicken broth makes
the Panamanian rice a complete and well balanced meal.
As usual with Dulce’s work, it is extremely difficult to find any structural flaws or misspelled words. However, I did find a nit-picking space before and after the slash between orange and red color.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, as a rice snob myself, I found Dulce’s compare and contrast between Mexican and Panamanian rice both interesting and informative. Despite the two dishes being so similar, she gave enough differences between the two that I feel I could make Panamanian rice at home.
Very well written blog and informative. I was unaware there was so many differences between the two. I have never really thought rice as being healthy; I just never really thought about rice that much I guess. I did not really see any grammatical errors. The only thing I would improve upon is maybe being more descriptive when it comes to taste and texture of the dish. It seemed very technical and not passionate.
ReplyDeleteSabaidee. I love rice myself, but have never had Mexican rice until middle school. As for Panamanian rice, I have to try it someday. Great work on contrasting between the two. Lots of information on them, but I agree with Kimo. I do want to know more about the taste and texture because you did not mention the common properties of these two, besides the vegetables. You could have listed out the common vegetables and then tell us what's put in differently. And then maybe give more nutritious facts on why they are healthy, such as iron from rice, or vitamin A and C from the vegetables.
ReplyDelete