Rice Dishes

Appears in

Published 1995

About

Rice is the staple food of most of the Far East and Asia. Unlike bread, a Western staple that plays only a secondary role in Western cookery, rice is an integral part of every meal and is eaten many times during the day. Left-over rice is stir-fried or dried to use in rice cakes, simmered in a rice porridge, or simply eaten as a snack. Like beancurd, rice combines well with other foods and flavours. Somewhat bland by itself, it readily absorbs other tastes.

Each country treats rice in a different way, ranging from Thai Aromatic Fried Rice to the simple, austere Japanese Rice with Asparagus. Although there are numerous varieties of rice, for everyday use we need only be concerned with three: long-grain, short-grain and glutinous.