Wash Your Rice!

I love rice. Yeah, I never bought into the whole "low carb" thing. I lived in Japan for 4 years. I also had the opportunity to travel around Asia on my own... so I ate a lot of rice. My friends ate rice, my students ate rice... plain, good 'ole rice... and you know what? They were all pretty thin. Anyway....

I love rice. Sticky rice, or Japanese rice, is a short grain. It has the bran taken off and then it is polished down. the starch is right on the surface, ready to make it stick together. Sometimes called "sushi rice", I will address that whole issue in another post... it is very starchy. Now, show of hands, how many of you wash your rice? No?

I am always surprised to find people don't rinse their rice before cooking. So, place your hand over your heart and promise to wash your rice next time. Turn on some water, swish is a bit and drain it off. You will always rinse when you notice how much stuff comes off your rice. Now with sticky rice it is even more important. Don't be intimidated. Just turn on the faucet.


Don't agitate too much. Just a gentle swirl with your hand. See how murky the water is?


Rinse, drain & repeat. So simple. It will take you a few minutes. My Japanese friends Kimmy taught me the importance of this step.

Now see how pretty and clear the water is? So simple, but it really makes all the difference. We made Oyakodon tonight. I will be posting the recipe soon. Until then, enjoy your rice. And, don't forget to wash it first!!!