Rice

Suddenly want to write about rice. It’s a tough subject and probably will spend some time in finishing the blog. But thinking about I will be “internet free” in the next couple days. Well, let’s do it!

I’ve been eating out quite a bit during the holiday season. Of course, in the States, I ate in several “Asian” restaurants. Got a small incident while going through the menu in a Japanese restaurant and trigger this rice post. I couldn’t recall what exactly the description is but something like, “Grill Black Cod serve with sticky rice”. Um… sticky rice. Sound interesting and refreshing match. So, I ordered it. When the dish came, I was a bit disappointed. Not by the Black Cod (it was very yummy) but by the stick rice. Well, obviously, the sticky rice in my head is totally different from the sticky rice of the person writing the menu.

Sticky rice, in my head, is the glutinous rice (糯米). We do not eat it as the regular rice, by it, I mean eating it as plain in Chinese cuisine. Usually we use it for making dumplings either straight as rice form (粽) or as flour form (湯圓). However, I know that Thai people do eat it plain. That is why I think “Black Cod serve with sticky rice” in a Japanese restaurant is so interesting and refreshing. But, it was just the regular rice. I can understand why the menu uses “sticky rice” because Japanese rice is stickier than other rice. But compare to my sticky rice, it is totally a different thing!

So, what are the correct terms for all these different rice in English? Well, I don’t really know. I did a quick search on the net but none of the sites have details English translation. Now, I am thinking to use my science geeky side to search for some scientific papers to figure it out. But here is what I can tell you. If you are in an Asian restaurant, mostly they serve normal rice. If the menu states sticky rice or sweet rice, it probably means the glutinous rice. Ask your server if you have doubt but make sure you ask the right server. My sticky rice incident is very rare. If you are buying rice in the market and don’t want to accidentally buy the glutinous rice. Here is a little trick, regular rice is kind of translucent when raw while glutinous rice is white in color and pretty much opaque.

As for the regular rice, there are so many different types. I have several cook books that actually have a page talking about all these different type of rice but mostly rice in the western world. For the western world, it is another post. So, here is just a small portion of the Asian rice that I know. Might not be totally correct but at least this is how I understand them in experience.

Jasmine Rice (香米)

It is a mid grain rice with strong fragrant when cook. Less sticky than other regular rice. Mainly produce in Southeast Asia. I am from Macau, which is located in the Canton region of China. Very close to the Southeast Asia. The best rice in the Canton region is called 絲苗米, which is very similar to Jasmine rice but claim to be softer in texture. But here in U.S., Jasmine rice is my rice!

Japanese Rice? (珍珠米)

This is the short grain, round in shape rice you have in most Japanese restaurants. It is sticker than regular rice and more chewy in texture. I don’t know what it should call in English. But I definitely would not call it sticky rice. The rice serve in Korean restaurant is very similar to this one but I bet they are difference. As I understand, sushi rice is different than the regular Japanese rice as well. But for me, they all have similar texture, the stickiness and chewiness. You definitely could not find this type of rice serve in Chinese restaurant. Chinese rice is less sticky and softer in texture but not necessary fragrant. But be honest, most of the rice serve in Chinese restaurant in U.S. are very bad quality. Sometime they not even serve the “whole” rice but the “broken apart” rice in order to lower the cost. For that, I truly admire the stubbornness of Japanese and Korean restaurants in using the true and good quality materials.

Basmati Rice

This the long grain rice use in Indian cuisine. I don’t know much about this rice but it is drier in texture and not sticky at all. Many times in Indian cuisine recipes, they would even recommend to use “aged” Basmati rice.

Well, this all I have in my tank on the rice subject. So, next time you know what kind of rice to match with which kind of cuisine. And you will not misleading other by giving them wrong information like my friend did. He actually told his friend that glutinous rice is same as sushi rice. His friend was lucky enough to have me to correct this wrong information. I can’t imagine he using glutinous rice in making sushi. Enough for now.

Happy Blogging - Vee