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Glutinous rice
Nuò Mĭ 糯米
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By Kathy Fang and Peter Fang
Published 2025
Also known as sticky rice or sweet rice, this is used to fill lotus root in the recipe. It is a type of short-grain rice that becomes exceptionally sticky when cooked, and is prized for its chewy texture and ability to absorb flavors. Despite its English name, it doesn’t contain gluten.
Common preparations include steaming in a bamboo steamer or rice cooker; using it to stuff dumplings, root vegetables, or bamboo leaves; and using it to make sticky rice dumplings, aka Chinese tamales (zòng zi 粽子) or lotus leaf wraps with minced meats. Always soak glutinous rice for at least an hour (or up to overnight) before you cook it.