Took me 5 years to figure out I was overcooking rice this whole time

Honestly, I used to think rice was just one of those things you had to eyeball and hope for the best. I'd boil it, drain it, and end up with a mushy mess or crunchy grains every single time. Finally last month I tried the finger trick where you put your finger on top of the rice and add water up to your first knuckle, and it came out perfect on the first try. I couldn't believe something that simple took me since college to stumble onto. I wasted so many bags of rice and probably an extra 10 bucks a month on takeout because I couldn't even cook a basic side. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized you were making a staple food way harder than it needed to be?

3 comments

3 Comments

valc911mo ago

Never thought about it that way, but my wife's family is from the Philippines and they taught me to wash the rice first until the water runs clear. I always skipped that step thinking it was just extra work, but turns out all that extra starch was what was turning my rice into a sticky glue pile. Now I rinse it three times, use the finger trick, and let it sit covered for ten minutes after cooking before fluffing it. Makes you wonder how many other basic kitchen skills we never bothered to learn because nobody ever showed us the right way the first time.

the_brian1mo ago

Reading the Serious Eats article about rice washing really opened my eyes to what's actually on those grains. Apparently it's not just starch but also talc and other stuff from processing that can mess with texture. I tried the rinsing thing after my Korean buddy showed me the cold water shake test (you know, where the water stays cloudy for a solid minute), and it changed everything. Now I'm wondering if there's other simple tricks like that for veggies or meats that we all just miss out on.

foster.tessa1mo ago

Wait the cold water stays cloudy for a whole minute?? That's wild, @valc91 I had no idea.