Can we talk about how I've been over-washing my rice for 10 years

I was making fried rice last Tuesday and my neighbor saw me rinsing the rice like 5 times. She said I was washing all the starch out and that's why my rice never sticks together for fried rice. Has anyone else been doing basic stuff wrong for way too long without realizing it?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_white1mo ago

Wait, how many times are you SUPPOSED to rinse it? I've been doing 3-4 rinses my whole life because my mom said you gotta get the water clear or the rice gets slimy. I guess that explains why my fried rice always turns into a gluey mess unless I use day-old rice from the Chinese takeout place.

the_derek1mo ago

get the water clear" is actually a trap for fried rice. I used to do the same thing until I watched a video from some Japanese chef who said for fried rice you actually want to rinse it like twice max. The starch that makes the water cloudy is what gives you that separate grain texture after cooking. I tried it last week with jasmine rice, just two quick rinses so the water was still a little milky, and my fried rice came out way better than when I used to rinse it clear. The grains actually stayed separate without needing to use old takeout rice. Your mom wasn't wrong for regular steamed rice but for fried rice you kinda need that extra starch still on there.