Here are a few with those properties.

Medium-grain riceis probably the most common grain size on the market.

If youre buying for the most possible system, this is what we recommend.

Long-grain ricecooks up firm.

You should use long grain rice only in dishes that call for separate grainspilafs, for example.

Wild riceisnt actually rice at all.

White versus Brown riceare phrases used to describe how much the rice has been milled and polished.

It also takes longer to cook.

In general, wed suggest you get a nice medium grainits the most universally applicable.

Even so, dont be fooled into thinking theres nothing else to rice than the length of its grain.

Give them a try.

Look for those, too.

If all of this sounds complicated, it is!

Both go into far greater detail than we have time for.

Long story short, take some of the names weve mentioned here into the grocery store with you.

Look for medium grains.

Aromatics like Jasmine and Basmati tend to add a little fanciness to standard rice dishes.

Brown rice is healthier, but itll take longer to cook and is less flexible than white rice.

Glutinous rices like sweet, sticky, and sushi rice clump together really nicely and are also flexible.

With so many options, theres no reason to buy minute rice ever again.

Their fluffiness makes them useful for mashed potatoes, too.

If you had to buy an all-purpose potato, the Russet is a solid choice.

Red potatoesare usually smaller, and as the name implies, have red skin.

Theyre waxy potatoes, well served by roasting or mashing, or chopped up for soups or stews.

Their waxy nature means they tend to hold their form when cooked, even in liquids.

Theyre usually my go-to potato when I dont need the fluffiness of a russet.

White potatoesare waxy and hold their shape, like red potatoes.

Theyre a bit starchier than reds though, so theyll turn up a little fluffier in some preparations.

Yellow potatoesandYukon Goldtend to fall apart when cooked, especially in liquid.

Otherwise, grill, bake, or roast them.

Theyre not baking or mashing potatoes though, not really.

For even more potato types and details on these, check outthis guide from The Cooks Thesaurus.

They even suggest making a cast iron skillet shepherds pie with ramen noodles on top instead of potatoes.

Similarly, check outthis guide to ramen dishes that arent soup.

Theyre even useful to thicken up veggie smoothies.

If you dont believe us, check outEndless Simmers list of over 100 recipes and preparationsthat involve a banana.

If youre not feeling that fancy, justbrush them with rum and honey and toss them on the grill.

With a little time, green peppers eventually turn orange and yellow, and develop more fruitiness and sweetness.

If you leave them even longer, theyll go full red.

Red peppers are the sweetest and fruitiest, and have almost none of the bitterness of green peppers.