Parboiled rice has been through a special cooking process, called parboiling, prior to milling. While in the paddy form, the rice is soaked and then steam cooked. This process does not allow the kernel to swell during the cooking and the moisture level does not exceed 40%, versus cooked table rice, which is most often cooked to a moisture level of 64%. The starch granule is cooked (technically gelatinized), but not allowed to swell. The rice is then dried while still in the paddy form and then passed through a standard milling process to remove the hull and bran.