Is it necessary to wash the rice before cooking it?

by time news

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 chicken rice soup.

Why should we wash the rice?

The reason why we should wash rice, or any food, is cleanliness. rinse the rice removes dirt, dust, debris, chemicals and bugs. By the time 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 food processing.

Another reason to rinse rice is to remove the excess starch on the surface of the grains. This “gives the cooked product a fluffy texture that causes the rice grains to separate,” explains Matt Slem, culinary scientist and rice cooker expert at Lundberg Family Farms. Otherwise, excess starch will remain in the rice, which could result in rubbery or overly sticky rice.

What types of rice should we wash?

“There are different opinions, but I recommend rinsing all the rice before cooking it,” 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.” Also, according to Sharma, we should also wash the rice no matter where it comes from or what the package says.

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 gently shaking it. 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 agitating the rice and rinsing 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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