Broken rice from a rice huller will be brown whole grain; broken rice from a gristmill may be white.^{[citation needed]}

On milling, Oryza sativa, commonly known as Asian rice or paddy rice, produces around 50% whole rice then approximately 16% broken rice, 20% husk, 14% bran and meal.^[5][6] African rice, Oryza glaberrima, has more brittle grains, and breakage is higher.^{[citation needed]}

Due to the different size and shape of the grains, broken rice has a different, softer texture from "unbroken" rice,^[7][8] and absorbs flavours more easily.^{[citation needed]} It cooks faster, using less fuel, and can be used to make rice porridges and congees, which need long cooking times.

The broken varieties are often less expensive,^{[9][10][11][12][13]} and so are preferred by poorer consumers, but they are also eaten by choice, with some cookbooks describing how to break unbroken rice to produce the desired texture or speed cooking.

Broken rice is consumed as part of local cuisine in West Africa (where the traditional African rice is easier to break), Thailand, Bangladesh and elsewhere in South East Asia. In Vietnam, cơm tấm (literally "broken rice") is a popular rice dish with pork. Thieboudienne is a popular dish in west Africa often made with broken rice. Broken rice is called rice grist or middlins in South Carolina. In Bangladesh it is called khood. It is typically dressed with roasted peppers, garlic and mustard oil before having it on its own or with a side dish - usually the previous night's leftovers.

Very small broken rice is called brewers' rice, as brewers have traditionally used it,^{[1][3][14][15]} although it is also sold to other users. For example, broken rice can be used by the pet food industry, and for livestock feeding and aquaculture.^[16] Broken rice is also used to make starch which is used as laundry starch and in foods, cosmetics and textile manufacture.^[17]