Is Rinsing Rice Really Required? (2024)

FAQs

Is Rinsing Rice Really Required? ›

“But in all seriousness, it's important to wash rice because it removes any excess starch so that when you cook it the grains remain separate.” For creamy dishes like rice porridge, risotto, or rice pudding that benefit starch's sticky nature, you can skip the thorough rinse.

As a general rule, you should rinse all types of rice before cooking, including long grain, medium grain, short grain, brown, white, and so on.

Should You Rinse Rice? Yes, if you want to make the fluffiest rice with the best texture, you should rinse the grains first. Rinsing rice removes excess starch, which gives your rice grains a consistent texture and prevents the rice cooker from boiling over.

It depends on what you're making

"They don't really wash their rice because what they want to do is retain the [starch] that is essential in making sure the dish ends up tasting creamy. "Whereas in Asian cultures, the tendency is always to wash the rice," Tan says.

Washing rice could lead to a fluffier final product, and there's some evidence that it could help remove unwanted contaminants in the rice. However, rinsing or soaking rice could also remove some beneficial fiber and nutrients.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.S., washing rice before it is cooked may send valuable protein down the drain, as well as other water-soluble nutrients. But washing doesn't strip the grain of nutritional value entirely.

Rinse-free rice goes through an extra buffing process to remove excess starch. The Toyo Rice Corporation created this unique buffing step to help reduce water pollution in Japan. Since most of the starch is removed, it doesn't need to be washed before cooking.

Wash the rice under cold water using a sieve or colander, or rinse in a pan until the water runs clear. This vital step prior to cooking removes any excess starch, giving you more separate grains, and bringing out the Jasmine's sweet, floral fragrance.

A new milling technology was developed in Japan, which eliminates the bran, excess surface starch and residues from the rice without sacrificing the quality of the rice. It is energy saving and friendly to the environment since rinsing is not required.

Why is my rice sticky even after washing? ›

If your rice has absorbed too much liquid, the grains may have split and the starches may have given the rice a soft, gluey consistency.

If your priority is fluffy, light rice where the grains are individually defined, be sure to rinse your rice before steaming or boiling. If you want your rice to be starchier or stick together, you can skip that step.

By washing white rice (where the bran has been milled), the excess starch is washed off, as well as the oxidized rice bran oil, which adds an unpleasant flavor to the cooked rice." Washing rice will also remove dust and debris and help the grains to be more separated, rather than sticky.

While brown jasmine rice is a great choice, it has been cited as one source of arsenic. Small amounts of arsenic aren't necessarily harmful to humans (in fact, it can be a preventive for cancer and/or fight cancer cells that are already active).

Rice is especially high in arsenic, lead and cadmium, which pose serious health risks to humans, according to November 2020 research in the ‌International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health‌. "You should always rinse rice before cooking," says registered dietitian nutritionist Kimberly Gomer, RDN.

"Excessive use of DIY rice water can result in protein and starch buildup on the scalp—this buildup will eventually damage the scalp and slow down hair regrowth," he says. And longer isn't better, so always make sure to rinse out the rice water after 20 minutes, max.

Soaking is optional, but we recommend it! Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally-occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Add rice to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (1 cup rice + 2-3 cups water).

If you eat rice fairly often, you'll want to know that research shows rice may have arsenic in it — potentially high levels. Like lead or mercury, arsenic can become toxic if you take in too much of it.