Making rice all boils down to the grains

In a Chinese household, a bowl of plain cooked rice is a staple, through good times and lean. At a sumptuous feast, rice is a palate cleanser between bites of richly flavoured food. When pickings are slim, rice is the filler that appeases the appetite. Chinese diners judge a restaurant by the quality of its rice. No matter how accomplished the rest of the cooking, if the rice is coarse and tasteless, the experience will be deemed wanting. For the Chinese, an ideal bowl of rice is long-grained, fragrant, snow-white in colour, fluffy and tender in texture, and slightly sticky, with a softly chewy feel.

Not everybody feels this way. The thousands of varieties grown in diverse regions of the world have spawned distinct regional taste preferences and ways of cooking. Japanese and Koreans favour rice that is short-grained and more glutinous and chewy, with a pearly sheen when cooked. In India, the preferred basmati is highly fragrant, extra-long in grain, fluffy but not at all clingy, lightly salted, and nutty in flavour. In Italy, short-grain varieties high in surface starch, such as arborio and carnaroli, are sautéed in olive oil and lovingly stirred with warm stock into porridgelike, creamy risottos with a characteristic bite. In northern Thailand, you're likely to find long-grain glutinous rice steamed and served in baskets at the table to be eaten by hand with accompanying curries. And in Iran, basmati might be studded with raisins, sprinkled with saffron, and cooked in a pot lined with thinly sliced potatoes at the bottom to form a coveted golden crispy crust that is widely regarded as a special treat.

Whatever the recipe, and however you like your rice, making it well boils down to knowing the long and short of the grain you're dealing with, literally. Simply put, long grains-which contain more amylose (long, straight starch molecules)-will generally absorb more moisture, take slightly longer to cook, and be fluffier or "drier" when cooked than short grains, which have more amylopectin (branchlike starch molecules) and hence are stickier and softer in texture.

There are three ways to cook rice: by absorption, by boiling, and by steaming. Most widely used is the absorption method, which probably yields the best results for most white rice; it's my preference. Use a suitably sized heavy- bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. (Most rice will swell to between two and two-and-a-half times its volume when cooked.)

Measure and place the raw rice in the pot and rinse it under cold running water while stirring it gently with your hand until the water runs relatively clear. Drain well, then measure and add cold water. The rice is already moistened, so for most long-grain white rice, like Thai jasmine or U.S. and Australian long-grain, I'd recommend a ratio of one part rice to one-and-a-third or one-and-a-half parts water. For drier rice such as basmati, one-and-three-quarters parts water with a few cloves and cardamom seeds and a pinch of salt will yield aromatic and flavourful results. For short to medium grains like Japanese rice, about one-and-a-quarter parts is a good rule of thumb. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat uncovered, then turn the heat to low, partly cover the pot with the lid leaving a small gap to prevent it from boiling over, and cook until the liquid is absorbed (about 15 to 20 minutes). Turn off the heat, cover the pot tightly, and let it sit for 15 minutes to continue steaming. Fluff the rice with a fork or a pair of chopsticks and serve.

Some cooks favour the boiling method for cooking basmati and brown rice. This entails cooking the rice in a large amount of water (about four times the volume of rice) until tender, then draining it and allowing it to steep for a few minutes over very low heat.

The steaming method, most effective for sticky or glutinous rice, calls for rinsing the rice, soaking it for a couple of hours, and then spreading it in a cheesecloth-lined steamer (or a shallow bowl) and steaming until tender.

When buying aromatic rice like Thai jasmine, look for the year of harvest on the bag or label; the fresher the better, as the rice itself will contain more moisture. For basmati, a bit of age (around five years), is preferred for better fragrance and a nuttier texture. Unless you eat a lot of rice, buy more variety in less volume so you don't have to store it for more than a few months. Experiment with different brands. Store rice in airtight containers in a dark, dry place. For interesting taste and texture, consider combining different varieties. A half-and-half mix of jasmine and a Japanese short-grain is my house blend. -

Next week: Electric rice cookers.