Parching is a lot like toasting. The following things happen to the wild rice during the parching process:
  • Moisture, in the form of steam, helps to give the wild rice kernel a glassy finish (a process we call gelatinization).
  • Water moisture is removed from the kernels (going from 37% down to 8%).
  • The kernels become tougher so they don't break as easily. Long kernels sell for higher prices.
  • The hulls loosen their hold on the kernel, and some hulls actually drop away.
  • The flavour of the wild rice is brought out as it becomes toasted
By the way, people will say "a kernel of wild rice" while others say "a grain of wild rice". They mean the same thing.

La Ronge Wild Rice Corporation uses the continuous flow parching method. The wild rice in its hulls continuously flows into, and out of, the parching ovens. (This is different from the old method of parching one large batch at a time.)
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