Washing rice?
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
When I use long grain rice in a dish where you want the grains to be separate and not sticking together, I rinse. e.g. pilaf, paella, etc.
Rinsing washes off the surface starch so the grains don't stick together. I'm not sure you use a lot of vitamins by rinsing. Those are in the rice not just sitting on the surface.
Rinsing washes off the surface starch so the grains don't stick together. I'm not sure you use a lot of vitamins by rinsing. Those are in the rice not just sitting on the surface.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Rinsing, washing. It's the same thing to me. I didn't even realize I had changed terms on you.
I rinse only rice that includes that instruction on the package. I remember reading somewhere (might have been in The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, but I'm not sure) that you should rinse any rice that is not from the U.S. So I do that as well. But otherwise, I do not rinse rice.
Constance
Master Chef
The first thing I was taught when I married that wild Cajun was to rinse the rice before I cooked it. As Andy says, it rinses off the starch so it won't stick.
Uncle Bob
Chef Extraordinaire
Well ya did pick up a few good tip Miss Connie --------Another one I do mostly ...Is "toasting" the rice in a skillet with a little oil. You have to keep moving it...stirring, flipping etc, so it want burn. It gives off the best aroma...Then cook it. It want be as white as snow, but it want stick either. Kinda gives the rice a nutty roasted flavor...Mmmmm good!!
Scotch
Head Chef
The practice of rinsing rice started primarily because talc or glucose had been added to the rice, ostensibly to preserve the rice and to prevent the grains from sticking together before it was cooked -- i.e., during processing, shipping, and storage.
However, talc hasn't been added to American- or European-produced rice for decades -- it's banned in this and many other countries because it's a health hazard as the talc may contain asbestos and has been linked to stomach cancer.
According to The New Food Lover's Companion, "Talc-coated rice is white rice that has a coating of talc and glucose, giving it a glossy appearance. The coating acts as a preservative and the practice was once widely used to protect rice during long sea voyages. Today coated rice (clearly labeled as such) is available only in a few markets, usually those specializing in South American foods. It must be thoroughly rinsed before cooking, as the talc can be contaminated with asbestos."
IMHO, there's really not much reason to rinse rice that hasn't been coated with talc or glucose. I never bother to rinse domestically produced rice. However, I do carefully wash anything from foreign sources, such as the Indian and Thai rices I buy at Trader Joe's, but only out of health concerns and to remove any impurities. (I prefer rice that is somewhat sticky in the Japanese style, such as Calrose -- I've never understood the preference for individual grains of cooked rice as it tastes no better and is harder to eat with a fork or chopsticks.)
Moreover, in some instances rinsing can remove nutrients. White rice is pretty much nothing but carbohydrates as the nutrients are in the outer brown husk that's removed to make the rice white. White rice is often "enriched" by the addition of vitamins and minerals to replace those missing nutrients. Wikipedia notes that "While the cheapest method of enriching involves adding a powdered blend of nutrients that will easily wash off (in the United States, rice which has been so treated requires a label warning against rinsing), more sophisticated methods apply nutrients directly to the grain, coating the grain with a water insoluble substance which is resistant to washing."
So whether to rinse or not boils down to the type of rice you have, where it came from, and whether you care about having individual grains of rice on your plate.
However, talc hasn't been added to American- or European-produced rice for decades -- it's banned in this and many other countries because it's a health hazard as the talc may contain asbestos and has been linked to stomach cancer.
According to The New Food Lover's Companion, "Talc-coated rice is white rice that has a coating of talc and glucose, giving it a glossy appearance. The coating acts as a preservative and the practice was once widely used to protect rice during long sea voyages. Today coated rice (clearly labeled as such) is available only in a few markets, usually those specializing in South American foods. It must be thoroughly rinsed before cooking, as the talc can be contaminated with asbestos."
IMHO, there's really not much reason to rinse rice that hasn't been coated with talc or glucose. I never bother to rinse domestically produced rice. However, I do carefully wash anything from foreign sources, such as the Indian and Thai rices I buy at Trader Joe's, but only out of health concerns and to remove any impurities. (I prefer rice that is somewhat sticky in the Japanese style, such as Calrose -- I've never understood the preference for individual grains of cooked rice as it tastes no better and is harder to eat with a fork or chopsticks.)
Moreover, in some instances rinsing can remove nutrients. White rice is pretty much nothing but carbohydrates as the nutrients are in the outer brown husk that's removed to make the rice white. White rice is often "enriched" by the addition of vitamins and minerals to replace those missing nutrients. Wikipedia notes that "While the cheapest method of enriching involves adding a powdered blend of nutrients that will easily wash off (in the United States, rice which has been so treated requires a label warning against rinsing), more sophisticated methods apply nutrients directly to the grain, coating the grain with a water insoluble substance which is resistant to washing."
So whether to rinse or not boils down to the type of rice you have, where it came from, and whether you care about having individual grains of rice on your plate.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I am with Scotch on this one. I prefer stickier types of rice. I am not one for individual grains. I have done blind taste tests at home with washing and not washing. Tasting the rice plain I was able to tell a difference even if it was somewhat subtle, but I never eat rice plain. It is always served with other food that generally has a sauce or somethng else. Once you combine the rice with sauce or whatever then I did not notice the difference anymore. So now I don't rince as it is an added step I don't find makes a difference for me.
How about sushi rice? I was taught to wash it well. A friend who has a Japanese grandmother was very familiar with the process, it was the job she did when helping her grandma. It wasn't just rinsed quickly, but washed, rubbing the grains lightly between the palms of one's hands, until the water runs clear.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Sushi rice is a different category. It's not a long grain rice like what has been discussed.
Thoroughly washing sushi rice, as you described, is essential to the final product.
Scotch
Head Chef
I'm pretty certain that goes back to the old practice of adding talc to the raw rice, and it's not really necessary otherwise -- except the Japanese go nuts when it comes to rice and tradition! Nonetheless, see this page:
The Sushi FAQ - How to Make Sushi Rice at Home
In particular, this paragraph:
It is best to use the instructions on the package of rice when cooking it, but a general suggestion is to use equal parts rice and water. Prior to cooking, the rice should be rinsed in cold water until the water runs clear, a step now becoming less necessary as talc (used to prevent the rice from absorbing water and sticking together during storage) is slowly being replaced with another type of starch, which is fine to cook with. But you never know and the package won't tell you what the company used as a coating. A rice cooker will do a fine job, however if you do not have one you can use our fail safe pot rice recipe which has served many well in the past.
Again, rice sold in the U.S. does not have talc.
Scotch
Head Chef
We eat a lot of plain rice with Asian and other dishes, and if there's a difference in the taste of rinsed versus not-rinsed rice, it has escaped me for the past 40 years or so. OTOH, I've never done a side-by-side comparison. In any case, I suspect the difference is pretty much insignificant, and neither is noticeably better that the other -- right or not?
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Absolutely. When I did my side by side comparison I noticed a difference because I was looking for it. It was very slight, and could have even been in my head. If I were just eating and not doing a comparison I would never notice or be able to discern if it was washed or not.
Scotch
Head Chef
Scotch
Head Chef
I'm making some long-grain brown rice to have with dinner tonight. Nothing fancy, just some Safeway's house brand of rice. It specifically says on the bag that for best results, do not rinse before or after cooking.
Yes you should wash your rice but only one time, to remove all the dirt
Mark Webster
Senior Cook
Really it depends alot on what type of rice you are using. Short grained for Sushi, Medium grained or long grained. It also depends on what dish you are preparing.
TheMetalChef
Senior Cook
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Another one I do mostly ...Is "toasting" the rice in a skillet with a little oil. You have to keep moving it...stirring, flipping etc, so it want burn. It gives off the best aroma...Then cook it. It want be as white as snow, but it want stick either. Kinda gives the rice a nutty roasted flavor...Mmmmm good!!
Just wanted to highlight this post by Uncle Bob, as this is standard procedure not only in risotto, but also in many pilaf recipes. Coating the rice with a bit of oil ensures separation of grains, and yes, the toasted flavor is highly prized by European traditionalists. In paella, obviously, the toasting is done on the back end. I guess the Mediterranean folk are a bit smarter than the Spaniards, toasting the rice before they actually put it to the water, where the toasting process can be much better controlled.
That said, a good Soccarat really is worth the price of admission.
