Described is a method for the accelerated aging of rice, comprising the steps of: a) selecting and dividing the paddies into uniform batches as a function of one or more of the following parameters: moisture, processing yield, amylose content and gelatinization temperature, b) humidifying a paddy batch so that the grain reaches a moisture content of 15-25%, preferably 18-20%, c) heating the paddy batch by applying a treatment using microwaves so that the grain reaches a temperature of 50-70°C, preferably of 55-63°C, without significant moisture loss, d) gelatinizing-pre-drying in closed environment and at a temperature of approximately 2-4°C higher than the gelatinization temperature of the variety processed, while keeping the temperature, moisture and ventilation controlled so as to cause a controlled and partial gelatinization of the grain, limited only to the outer layer, e) drying with ventilation and with air temperature of the air of 30-35°, f) resting or tempering without ventilation with temperature of the air of 30- 35°C, g) rapid cooling with air in forced closed circuit.
