Sticky Rice

This extraordinary rice is the daily bread of Laos, and consequently of northern and northeastern Thailand, where the Laotian cultural connection is so strong. Sticky rice, sometimes labeled “sweet rice” and “glutinous rice” in English and gao nep in Vietnamese, is a long-grain variety with a natural propensity for clinging to itself in a pleasing, convenient way. You can pinch off a hunk of the rice and roll it into a chewy, bite-sized ball, yet it does not stick to your fingers or to much