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The ultimate rice hit
Appears in
By Nisha Katona
Published 2017
Rice exists at a whole remarkable level in Thai cuisine. As in many Asian cuisines, rice is at the heart of any Thai meal. The word for rice and food are the same in the Thai language: khao. The verb to eat is the same as to ‘eat rice’.
The most famous Thai rice is the lauded and sweet aromatic jasmine rice. This grows in abundance in Thailand’s central plains. This well-tempered, non-glutinous grain is used widely in fried rice dishes and in the congees, or savoury soups.
The other well-known Thai rice is the sticky rice, which for me holds an entirely unique charm. It operates in its very form so differently to the separate grains of steamed or boiled rice, behaving like a hefty sponge. It is heavy, cloying and rather unashamed at how poor its attempt to absorb sauce really is. This is why I love it. For me, Thai sticky rice is the ultimate rice hit. It does not behave as a tame accompaniment but as a shameless spoilsport. Flopped out of a plastic bag, it does not even change its shape for you. One has to wrestle it into submission. I never knew rice could be so exciting.