Almost eight hundred million tons of rice are grown in the world annually. With a number of around eight billion people, this is a really respectable number. So it is not surprising that there is really a lot of discussion around its correct cooking. What about you? Do you wash the rice before cooking or not?
In many world cultures, rice is the basis of the entire menu, both due to its availability in the region, which mainly concerns Asia, where most of the cultivated grains come from, and also countries where it is an imported item. Its great advantage is also the wide range of options for preparing dishes from salty to sweet, but also seasoned in a very unusual way for us. But each method has one thing in common – the initial dilemma of whether or not to wash the rice before pouring it into the pot.
How about washing the rice? Watch a video from America’s Test Kitchen on YouTube:
Source: Youtube
Get rid of the starch
At the outset, we can say that in most cases, experts recommend washing rice before cooking. Why? On the surface of the rice grains, we would find a fairly significant amount of starch, which causes them to stick together during cooking, which in many cases we do not want. If we intend to prepare loose rice, then rinsing it is almost a must. Let’s also realize how long rice has traveled from the field to the store. It is therefore almost certain that small impurities have stuck to it along the way, which we may not even see with the naked eye, but we certainly do not want to serve them on a plate to the family.
The right choice is the basis
In addition to the above, it is good to imagine the consistency of the resulting dish right from the start and choose the right rice accordingly. While, for example, for sushi, where the basis is glutinous rice, we can buy “sushi rice”, i.e. the round-grain one that creates the best consistency, for fried rice or for example pilaf, choose long-grain, jasmine or basmati rice. In the second case, i.e. if you want to have the grains consistently separated, thoroughly wash all suitable types. It takes a few seconds, but you will definitely recognize them by the result.
Prepared rice is also washed
The above will not apply to rice that has already been pre-processed, i.e. pre-cooked rice or rice in cooking bags (although we can also rinse the bag, but it will not have the same effect as with the unpackaged one).
The procedure is simple
If you decide to rinse the rice, the procedure will not be complicated. Simply pour it into a bowl and cover with cold water. Then mix it with your hand a few times and watch the water become cloudy. This has washed away the excess starch from the surface of the rice.
Try it perfectly
Drain the cloudy water and replace it with clear water. Repeat the process several times until the water is almost clear. Then you can let the drained rice drain in a colander to really get rid of as much unwanted starch as possible. That’s it – continue to cook the rice as you have been used to.
You don’t have to take over the rice, just wash it
Long gone are the days, which some of us may still remember, when we even had to take over the rice before cooking. In addition to the high-quality grains, we also carried small pebbles or black grains home in the bag, which we definitely did not want to cook. Receiving the rice was a kind of ritual, entrusted to the children in many families. Today we don’t see such content in a bag of rice, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of it properly before cooking. Washing it is not an absolute necessity, but even if you are not used to it, it might be a good idea to try this procedure. It is possible that, like Asians, you too will find that such a simple step has its meaning. So: enjoy!
Sources: www.marthastewart.com, www.eatingwell.com, www.thepioneerwoman.com
