When preparing food, it is customary to wash fruits and vegetables before cooking and eating them. But should we carry out the same procedure with other foods such as rice? The truth is that rinsing the rice grains is a key step to prepare a perfect rice, regardless of whether we want to make rice pudding or a tasty rice soup with chicken. Why should we wash rice? The reason we should wash rice, or any food, is cleanliness. Rinsing rice removes dirt, dust, debris, chemicals, and insects. When rice arrives at the supermarket, it has already traveled a long journey and along the way, it may pick up various substances or, in some cases, it may travel with substances that were not properly removed during the processing of the food. Another reason to rinse rice is remove excess starch on the surface of the grains. This “gives the cooked product a spongy texture that causes the rice grains to separate,” explains Matt Slem, culinary scientist and rice cooking expert at Lundberg Family Farms. Otherwise, excess starch will remain in the rice, which could lead to rubbery or overly sticky rice. What types of rice should we wash? “There are different opinions, but I recommend rinsing all rice before cooking,” reveals Slem. . This applies to all varieties and sizes of rice, including short, medium, and long grain rice. Nik Sharma, cookbook author and recipe developer, shares his opinion: “Out of habit, I wash all types of rice before cooking to remove any dust, soluble impurities or harmful substances.” Additionally, according to Sharma, we should also wash rice no matter where it comes from or what it says on the package. How to Wash Rice Although all types of rice require cleaning, the exact method for each type varies slightly. If you want to cook with a whole grain variety, pour the desired amount of rice into a sieve. Next, run the rice under cold water for about 30 seconds while shaking it gently. Finally, drain and transfer the rice to a pot or your chosen cooking container. As for white rice, Slem suggests following the same steps while stirring the rice and rinsing it for a minute or two. «The water will start to be cloudy. After a minute or two, it will be almost clear,” he confesses. Lastly, while rinsing the rice, avoid rubbing the grains with your fingers. Therefore, it is advisable to let the water run through the grains without touching the rice too much.
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