It'd be a lot cooler if onigiri translated as "demon's duty" instead of its actual meaning. Great mnemonic for giri though, a lil riceball of a demon doing his part for society
No, a lot of kids were suffering from malnutrition and places where they eat tons of rice and so they fortify it with nutrients. Rinsing your rice increases malnutrition.
It really depends of the type of rice you're using (white rice typically needs washing more than brown rice), the quality/origin (are there going to be bugs parts/pesticide/other stuff you don't want in it), the kind of dish you're making and the cooking method you're using. There's really no one-size-fits-all here. Somtimes washing is undesirable, sometimes it's redundant, sometimes it's needed (and anyone who tells you there's only one correct way should be ignored).
Yup, I usually follow short grain = wash, risotto or medium grain = don't wash. Long grain depends on the dish, like for apricot chicken I want the starch on the rice but with curry I don't. But I also live in Australia and we have many different rice dishes eaten regularly that use different rice types and cooking methods. "One size fits all" only really works if you're sticking to a specific cuisine with a specific rice type.
Exactly. In most cases the average rice people buy from a western supermarket to be used in western cooking is fine without washing. There are very few dishes in western cooking where the extra starch matters, and those will call out for rinsing the rice in the recipe. Otherwise it's just your own preference.
oh no! outside? eww!.. i'm more scared of people being filthy while handling it. like, the only reason i wash grapes is because the clerk might have scratch his ass before putting it on the display
Yeah, the variety and preparation of rice should be fit for purpose. You wouldn't use well-washed long-grain basmati for sushi or onigiri-like dishes, and you wouldn't use sticky rice for a biryani or vindaloo
Proper musubis are made with sushi rice. Proper sushi rice is washed very thoroughly. The vinegar and sugar added to it are more than enough to make it sticky by themselves, while maintaining distinct individual grains. The kind of thick, porridgey stickiness that unwashed rice has is better suited for being a side dish that goes with stews and curries and whatnot.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368728?via%3Dihub washing the rice reduces about 44% of the arsenic in white rice, although in brown rice it's only about 18%. The abstract you linked was very vague about the amounts so I looked for a different study for specific amounts because that one is behind a paywall. Although washing is less effective than boiling in excess water, I would hardly say that it doesn't do anything.
In fact, it makes sense to wash rice simply because you can remove a considerable amount of the arsenic that accumulates during cultivation. In the case of brown rice, even significantly more than with white rice.
Nah, the texture of the rice is changed pretty significantly if it's washed or not. Unwashed rice grains end up coated in a thin but clingy layer of porridge made of the small particles of rice starch created by the grains abrading each other during packaging and shipping. Washed rice loses that starch dust and ends up with more distinct, individual grains as a result. They're marginally better or worse for different purposes, kind of like different shapes of pasta for different dishes.
I've been Chinese since I was born so the knowledge was passed down through oral tradition for millennia. We didn't try to keep washing rice a secret or anything.
You don't have to wash your rice in many countries. It deoends. Most rice in the US has been processed and enriched and washing removes nutrients.if you buy from the store, no need to wash it.
"Though brown rice has nutritional advantages over white rice, it is not surprising that it might have higher levels of arsenic, which concentrates in the outer layers of a grain. The process of polishing rice to produce white rice removes those surface layers, slightly reducing the total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in the grain. In brown rice, only the hull is removed."https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm
A Consumer's Reports story was widely distributed by the national media: "Residues from the decades of use of lead-arsenate insecticides linger in agricultural soil today, even though their use was banned in the 1980s." They recommend rinsing thoroughly with a mesh sieve. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm (paywall, but 12 Foot Ladder works)
Why did you spell Roger that way, is it a reference to something? Are you implying that the information is unreliable? I am standing here with a bag of rice in my hand that I am going to cook for a roomful of toddlers and I am relying on your response to make a decision about their health.
Nah, they're right. Check your rice supplier. Is the water cloudy in the same color as the rice once you're done? Has the rice changed color? Are there little bits of other things floating in it?
If your rice was already clean, the cloudiness in the water will match the color of the rice and what you're seeing is just effectively rice flour from the grains grinding each other down, both from how white rice is made, and from shipping.
Any Italian chef will recommend using the right type of rice for risotto and washing it before cooking. The important starch for risotto comes from the rice grain and not from its surface.
Early on, people washed rice because they're might be bugs and shit in it. With modern farming/packaging thats not much of an issue, but white rice doesn't have the protective shell on it, so the grains tend to grind against each other and cause a fine dust which needs to be washed off if you don't want it to stick together. (Rice that sticks together is fine in some cooking - like asian dishes eaten with job sticks - not so much in other cuisines)
I was told by my Asian parents that it removed artificial whiteners like talc. My teachers told me it was pesticides. Personally, I do it because of the reason you stated, i like my rice not sticky.
Artificial whiteners & pesticides has been an issue in some places. But if you buy rice in Europe or NA that is highly unlikely. It is likely that your rice might be fortified with vitamine a and vitamine K to avoid children getting deficiencies.
This is actually a big enough problem that golden rice was developed to save lives.
People don't get nutrient deficiencies because they wash their rice, they get nutrient deficiencies because they live in poverty and can't afford to regularly eat fruits and vegetables
Yeah, that's what I heard too - so many different stories, so many dated references (eg talc on rice? Really?) At the end of the day, I think its a case of rinse or don't rinse - depends on the breed of rice and the dish you're using it in. I primarily eat basmati rice, tried washing it, no difference. I never wash it now and it's always perfectly loose and fluffy when cooked. Mind you, the histrionics of the guy in the video are amusing.
Sure, but we're 200 years later than that Act (and chalk is a good source of calcium whilst sawdust is great fibre :-) but ultimately that Act was about stopping bakers from cheating customers with cheaper ingredients. Talc on rice though? would it really add enough weight to the rice to make it worth the extra cost? Seems improbable to me.
Rice can absorb high levels of arsenic from its environment, which could lead to long term health problems. Washing your rice reduces the level of arsenic. Always wash your rice.
You wash your rice because it gets stepped on and spit in when getting processed for packaging and distribution, if you’ve ever known anyone in the industry. That’s why we wash our rice…
Most of the rice i make is for fried rice. You MUST wash it, and then leave it in the fridge overnight to dry out (preferably uncovered and laid flat). You want undividual grains for fried rice, so that every grain is fried and coated separately, not clumps of sticky starchy nonsense. Even making rice as a side for a porkchop or something, i rinse it. Clumpy rice is worse. Even for sushi rice you rinse it, and then soak it. You want it sticky, not clumpy.
Dude I have seen rice bought in the US and that stuff had bugs in it, we didn't realize this till after we put it in the pantry and saw them spread to half the pantry. Wash your rice, and don't trust discount rice
I still wash my brown rice to remove dust particles or any other impurity. I have to make Mexican rice frequently for my husband, but I only use brown since he has diabetes. Washing it doesn't hurt. Guess it's just preference.
No this is bad. Unless you can't trust the quality, if you wash or don't wash your rice based on how intend to cook it. Gives two different versions of rice based on how much starch is left.
Don’t buy that shit. Just buy some good quality rice. Rinse it until the water is almost clear. Put some in a good rice cooker and follow the instructions. Or, put some in a heavy bottom high wall pan, then cover with water until it’s 3/4” deep above the rice. Bring it to a boil, cover and turn the heat to as low as it will go. Check it in 20-25 minutes. If you want it sticky and gooey, don’t rinse it.
In the west you don't need to, it's already treated. If you get rice from local Asian store with Asian labels rather than local language then you need to wash it, yes.
It depends on what you're cooking too, though. If you want fluffy separate grains, you should wash it. If you want it sticky, you shouldn't, assuming it's safe not to. Because the residue will thicken on it like more of a risotto consistency if you don't wash it.
Treated? I thought you wash the rice because of the grains rubbing against each other creating rice flour. The rice flour will make the water starchy and the rice sticky
American rice has arsenic, which was used as a pesticide until the 1980s. Residue remains in the soil. The levels of arsenic can be reduced by: rinsing using a wire sieve, and cooking it like pasta, and then pouring the water off.
It's kinda impossible to get your level of exposure to every toxin that exists to absolute zero. Toxins just kind of exist in the environment and you're gonna consume them, especially if you're a few steps up on the food chain. That's what you have a liver for. That said, you should still make an effort to reduce the amount you consume as much as possible, especially when there's a specific source that has increased levels of a toxin, like rice
Washing rice like this isn't going to get rid of a significant amount of the arsenic present. It's done to remove excess starch that will make the rice too sticky and gluggy. If you want to remove the arsenic then you need to soak the rice for hours (overnight+) and discard that water.
- white rice: Washing is recommended to remove excess starch, which can make the rice sticky. Rinsing also helps remove any dirt or impurities. - sushi rice: Washing is essential to achieve the right texture and stickiness needed for sushi. - brown rice: Washing can help remove any dust or debris, but it is not as crucial for texture as it is with white rice. - enriched rice: Some rice is enriched with vitamins and minerals, which can be washed away if rinsed.
I installed radio antennas inside the Poland Springs water bottling plant and distribution center in Maine. I will ALWAYS wash my five gallon bottles with 91% Isopropyl alcohol.
while its true it removes some nutrients like copper, iron, zinc, and vanadium, studies show it also removes over 20% of microplastics, 90% of arsenic (occurs naturally in rice) and up to 20% of other heavy metal contaminants like lead and cadmium..... so the studies show its a clear net benefit to wash your rice
I don't have a link to the full study, but the study was done by hongyan li in 2018 titled starch molecular structure: the basis for an improved understanding of cooked rice structure. There's lots of citations in other articles you can find by searching that title
I never said the concern for Arsenic was high, just that the study concluded there was more benefit to washing the rice than you lose. It also determined it has very little effect on the texture in many cases
Something being more effective doesn't mean that the less effective version isn't still functional or in some cases even better. When you're making public safety recommendations you have to take into account people's behavior. Most people are not gonna start boiling their rice like that. If you tell them that's the only effective method, they just won't do anything. People are much more likely to wash their rice, so if you offer that as an option, they will at least do that much
Why do you claim people won't do that? It's already a common way to cook rice in some places, like Southern/Central Asia. It's also how you make certain dishes like pakki biryani.
Ekibwurm
Thorketil
Wash the rice! https://www.allrecipes.com/article/arsenic-in-rice/
Pay attention to where the rice comes from! https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/which-brands-and-sources-of-rice-have-the-least-arsenic/
Fawin
I wash it when I make onigiri. You kind of need to, it appeases the rice oni so that the rice bond togiri.
cosonfused
lappelduvideonfullblast
It'd be a lot cooler if onigiri translated as "demon's duty" instead of its actual meaning. Great mnemonic for giri though, a lil riceball of a demon doing his part for society
Fawin
I was worried no one would get it.
VibratingNipples
Columbus43219
"My love?!?"
N0TFR13ND
Amore mio
Izegrim
OK, OK, I'll wash my rice from now on ... but what fabric softener do I need?
CryAboutIt69
i hate everyone in this
vonKaiser
flounder35
time to double down. Lets put our phones in rice after dropping them in water.
ShutUpImWorking
zerogenix
the guy saying not to wash your rice sounds like he drinks raw milk
MAN9000
No, a lot of kids were suffering from malnutrition and places where they eat tons of rice and so they fortify it with nutrients. Rinsing your rice increases malnutrition.
MachineInterface
It really depends of the type of rice you're using (white rice typically needs washing more than brown rice), the quality/origin (are there going to be bugs parts/pesticide/other stuff you don't want in it), the kind of dish you're making and the cooking method you're using. There's really no one-size-fits-all here. Somtimes washing is undesirable, sometimes it's redundant, sometimes it's needed (and anyone who tells you there's only one correct way should be ignored).
khold90
Yup, I usually follow short grain = wash, risotto or medium grain = don't wash. Long grain depends on the dish, like for apricot chicken I want the starch on the rice but with curry I don't. But I also live in Australia and we have many different rice dishes eaten regularly that use different rice types and cooking methods. "One size fits all" only really works if you're sticking to a specific cuisine with a specific rice type.
viila
Exactly. In most cases the average rice people buy from a western supermarket to be used in western cooking is fine without washing. There are very few dishes in western cooking where the extra starch matters, and those will call out for rinsing the rice in the recipe. Otherwise it's just your own preference.
wobblecopterrrr
rinse your rice, save the water, water plants, profit!
Thorketil
When you wash rice, some of the arsenic contained in the rice is washed away. Therefore, it is better not to reuse the water afterwards.
Rodltwo
Ikwilstroopwaffels
if I parboil rice, I wash it. If I brown it first, to make Spanish rice, I do not wash it. I go both ways!
McFrazzlestache
Ew. No. Wash your friggin' rice, people. It comes from the outside.
cousteau
Do you also wash your milk?? It comes from a cow's tiddy! /s
Volpe42
My rice usually comes from the store
Sipulikeitto
Just like mail. Remember to wash your mail!
Justanotherbloodyacctname
So do you.
VodkaReindeer
But they take it inside and remove the wrapping before putting it in a bag.
peteiscool
Do you wash your flour?
c991257
Yes
4vie
Outside? ... You mean... where... billionaires are?
Klaxun
Outside? Where dogs pee?
WoopDeFrickenDoo
oh that's the least of the outsides problems
Klaxun
Unless the dogs are peeing on my rice ...
McFrazzlestache
Where dogs pee.
PWBoiler
Wait. You guys got your dogs to pee outside?
BlackTrashTiger
Grown in water. Where ducks poop.
Bunhyung
Interestingly, they do use Ducks as well as crabs to mitigate insects in rice paddies.
pixelsnader
Wash it with water, like from the toilet?
my1rstlaptopwas34inchscreenup
oh no! outside? eww!.. i'm more scared of people being filthy while handling it. like, the only reason i wash grapes is because the clerk might have scratch his ass before putting it on the display
thedeg
You wash grapes cause of all the pesticides
my1rstlaptopwas34inchscreenup
i don't think it makes a difference
thedeg
Well it certainly doesnt do any harm, unless maybe you live in Flint
my1rstlaptopwas34inchscreenup
not because washing them don't remove pestice on the fruit, because there's pesticide in the fruit
MothMonsterMan
That's just bonus flavor
jakobbp
Don't you boil it before you eat it?
QuintinParry
Boiling only takes care of living organisms. It does not take care of other potential problems like heavy metals pesticides and other toxins.
ifyoutakemeseriouslythatsonyou
Nah, I prefer my rice nice and crunchy…
PwnageHobo
It's more about the starch, tbh
TheDaharMaster
That’s what I hear but I like my rice sticky for spam musubi, y’all
PwnageHobo
Yeah, the variety and preparation of rice should be fit for purpose. You wouldn't use well-washed long-grain basmati for sushi or onigiri-like dishes, and you wouldn't use sticky rice for a biryani or vindaloo
Blud4BludGod
Proper musubis are made with sushi rice. Proper sushi rice is washed very thoroughly. The vinegar and sugar added to it are more than enough to make it sticky by themselves, while maintaining distinct individual grains. The kind of thick, porridgey stickiness that unwashed rice has is better suited for being a side dish that goes with stews and curries and whatnot.
Blud4BludGod
(But also when you're cooking for yourself at home do whatever the fuck you like, I'm not your dad)
thechelonianshelmet
It depends on type, condition, & usage, so I do it as needed.
betterave
I’m of the opinion that so what: it’s boiled for 15 minutes and besides, I like sticky rice
Falkh12
get a rice cooker, Uncle Roger demands it
LonelyVoid
You can't boil out arsenic
(Unless your boil your rice in an excess of water that you then pour out, like noodles)
bitemark
Washing doesn't remove it either, it's in the rice, not sprinkled on top
betterave
Seems washing doesn’t do much in that respect. Excess water does though: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26515534/#:~:text=Rinsing%20rice%20before%20cooking%20has,As%20in%20the%20cooked%20grain.
LonelyVoid
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368728?via%3Dihub washing the rice reduces about 44% of the arsenic in white rice, although in brown rice it's only about 18%. The abstract you linked was very vague about the amounts so I looked for a different study for specific amounts because that one is behind a paywall. Although washing is less effective than boiling in excess water, I would hardly say that it doesn't do anything.
cousteau
I don't so I wash it.
Mack1986
It'll say on the package if it need washing or not
Cindex1337
I just checked mine and it doesn't say anything about it.....
Mack1986
Weird. I have 3 kinds of rice and they all say pre washed. Maybe it's a brand thing
Falkh12
Checked mine as well, the cooking instructions say to rinse in water beforehand (no soap).
flnhst
I like it with soap. Gives it a special taste.
Fuz77
And makes it very bubbly! Children love it.
LonelyVoid
Pre-seasoning it with cilantro
Colopty
But with more consistent flavouring that doesn't depend on someone having the right gene.
flexstar
In fact, it makes sense to wash rice simply because you can remove a considerable amount of the arsenic that accumulates during cultivation. In the case of brown rice, even significantly more than with white rice.
BobJones786
You do understand that rice is made by boiling it, right? You know . . . IN WATER!
cosonfused
You do understand that some foods need to be washed first, right? Either to remove dirt, starch, and other nasty things.
BobJones786
Rice, in its sealed plastic bag, I get from the supermarket, is not one of them.
ruint
I'll take my rice without a coating of heat-resistant Bacillus-cereus spores, thanks.
Rickenbacker
boil. drain. cook. https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-new-way-of-cooking-rice-that-removes-arsenic-and-retains-nutrients/
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
It is *amazing* how angry some of those comments got. Over some information about cooking rice.
titoitoi
Good info, thank you!
titoitoi
ps really deserves its own post, given the facts about arsenic
SnakesInBowties
Mr. Nimbus likes his rice washed
kimst
So I normally just follow any cooking instructions and can't remember ever reading on the package that the rice needs to be rinsed before cooking.
viila
It depends on the variety of rice you're buying. Most rice from a western supermarket used in western cooking doesn't need to be washed.
HermitPrime
It doesn't. These people are just doing a ritual that's a holdover from big burlap bags of dirty buggy rice.
Grimmrog
Or maybe they just do not like arsen in their rice as much as others do.
Blud4BludGod
Nah, the texture of the rice is changed pretty significantly if it's washed or not. Unwashed rice grains end up coated in a thin but clingy layer of porridge made of the small particles of rice starch created by the grains abrading each other during packaging and shipping. Washed rice loses that starch dust and ends up with more distinct, individual grains as a result. They're marginally better or worse for different purposes, kind of like different shapes of pasta for different dishes.
zeiji
yea don't wash your rice, if you make risotto. you need the extra starch
andydicktracymorganfairchild
I've never washed a grain of rice because I didn't know I was supposed to and I would be interested to know how others learned they were supposed to.
comacomacomacomachameleon
The excess starch makes the rice gummy. Wash therice.
Sakkura
In some cases that's necessary for the dish. If you wash the rice for a risotto, you've ruined it.
Thisisabigmistake
I've been Chinese since I was born so the knowledge was passed down through oral tradition for millennia. We didn't try to keep washing rice a secret or anything.
vonKaiser
Jo Koy taught me. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wMNLicO2cHw
MoopsyLD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ermTvQCqg how i learned
mangoinparis
Taste and consistency
DerpeDimmer
It wasn't normal to do where I live until like 10-15 years ago. Now most people do it.
shyasen
Lived in Japan in the early to mid 90s. That's how I learned.
MightyUrto
You don't have to wash your rice in many countries. It deoends. Most rice in the US has been processed and enriched and washing removes nutrients.if you buy from the store, no need to wash it.
andydicktracymorganfairchild
I buy whole rice, natural long grain brown rice in the US.
cardinal29
"Though brown rice has nutritional advantages over white rice, it is not surprising that it might have higher levels of arsenic, which concentrates in the outer layers of a grain. The process of polishing rice to produce white rice removes those surface layers, slightly reducing the total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in the grain. In brown rice, only the hull is removed."https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm
Sakkura
Doesn't just depend on country but also on the type of rice and dish you're making.
cardinal29
A Consumer's Reports story was widely distributed by the national media: "Residues from the decades of use of lead-arsenate insecticides linger in agricultural soil today, even though their use was banned in the 1980s." They recommend rinsing thoroughly with a mesh sieve. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm (paywall, but 12 Foot Ladder works)
sometimesarobot
Wash until the water runs clean (or you get too lazy to do it any more)
andydicktracymorganfairchild
How did you learn of this recommendation?
atrielienz
Both my parents. But other people probably from different places including uncle Rodger.
andydicktracymorganfairchild
Why did you spell Roger that way, is it a reference to something? Are you implying that the information is unreliable? I am standing here with a bag of rice in my hand that I am going to cook for a roomful of toddlers and I am relying on your response to make a decision about their health.
atrielienz
Google autocorrect got me.
Melbuf
it really depends on the rice and the dish its for. you NEED the starch you are washing off for some dishes to work
PWBoiler
Purists wash each grain, one and a time. Sure, it takes about three days, but authentic perfection requires sacrifice.
Solusek
I even have a special tiny brush for this.
Rips4w
I wash and name each grain. I think it's important to develop a bond with our food.
AliensProbably
Is Ur Rice some kind of Sumerian variety? Never seen it at WholeFoods.
Matt010288
He can wash my rice anytime
azarza
if you don't wash your rice, do it once to see why you should be washing your rice. CLOUDY
Sakkura
All that cloudy stuff is necessary for dishes like a risotto. Don't mindlessly wash rice, check what makes sense for the recipe and type of rice.
azarza
yes the dishes that require starch.. risotto, paella and pudding iirc. I don't think people who are making this are mindlessly doing anything..
WizardofAnus
Nah, they're right. Check your rice supplier.
Is the water cloudy in the same color as the rice once you're done? Has the rice changed color? Are there little bits of other things floating in it?
If your rice was already clean, the cloudiness in the water will match the color of the rice and what you're seeing is just effectively rice flour from the grains grinding each other down, both from how white rice is made, and from shipping.
Thorketil
Any Italian chef will recommend using the right type of rice for risotto and washing it before cooking. The important starch for risotto comes from the rice grain and not from its surface.
nonagon3x3
who gives a shit about "added nutrients?" wash [the starch off] your rice unless you like a gummy wad of rice.
LonelyVoid
Yeah like you really should not be getting your vitamins from rice. Eat some fruit and vegetables and you'll be fine
DontNeedAWeatherManToKnowWhichWayTheWindBlows
Early on, people washed rice because they're might be bugs and shit in it. With modern farming/packaging thats not much of an issue, but white rice doesn't have the protective shell on it, so the grains tend to grind against each other and cause a fine dust which needs to be washed off if you don't want it to stick together. (Rice that sticks together is fine in some cooking - like asian dishes eaten with job sticks - not so much in other cuisines)
Brown rice usually doesn't need washing.
bitemark
Makes more of a mess in the rice cooker too
TheWarHymn
I was told by my Asian parents that it removed artificial whiteners like talc. My teachers told me it was pesticides. Personally, I do it because of the reason you stated, i like my rice not sticky.
TheMobilePengwing
Artificial whiteners & pesticides has been an issue in some places. But if you buy rice in Europe or NA that is highly unlikely.
It is likely that your rice might be fortified with vitamine a and vitamine K to avoid children getting deficiencies.
This is actually a big enough problem that golden rice was developed to save lives.
LonelyVoid
People don't get nutrient deficiencies because they wash their rice, they get nutrient deficiencies because they live in poverty and can't afford to regularly eat fruits and vegetables
TheMobilePengwing
This is true. Which is why rice is fortified in a large part of the world where rice is a staple diet. Hence know if your rice is fortified or not.
spontaneous9
Are these job sticks here in the room with us now?
stickmanprime
ThePastmaster
Rice starch IIRC.
DarwinsAgain
Yeah, that's what I heard too - so many different stories, so many dated references (eg talc on rice? Really?) At the end of the day, I think its a case of rinse or don't rinse - depends on the breed of rice and the dish you're using it in. I primarily eat basmati rice, tried washing it, no difference. I never wash it now and it's always perfectly loose and fluffy when cooked. Mind you, the histrionics of the guy in the video are amusing.
ThePastmaster
I mean, the Bread Act in the UK came about because bakers were putting chalk and sawdust in the flour so they could make more bread.
DarwinsAgain
Sure, but we're 200 years later than that Act (and chalk is a good source of calcium whilst sawdust is great fibre :-) but ultimately that Act was about stopping bakers from cheating customers with cheaper ingredients. Talc on rice though? would it really add enough weight to the rice to make it worth the extra cost? Seems improbable to me.
LonelyVoid
Rice can absorb high levels of arsenic from its environment, which could lead to long term health problems. Washing your rice reduces the level of arsenic. Always wash your rice.
PigsWeGetWhatPigsDeserve
Job sticks?
puffpuffmcgruff
Sometimes the rice still has bugs. I'll soak my rice a little before cooking and sometimes I find bugs that were in the rice
spamislife
You wash your rice because it gets stepped on and spit in when getting processed for packaging and distribution, if you’ve ever known anyone in the industry. That’s why we wash our rice…
TeeweeAndSmashboy
This guy asias. +1
Disastermaster101
Job stick suck always making u work for it
billstranger
Most of the rice i make is for fried rice. You MUST wash it, and then leave it in the fridge overnight to dry out (preferably uncovered and laid flat). You want undividual grains for fried rice, so that every grain is fried and coated separately, not clumps of sticky starchy nonsense. Even making rice as a side for a porkchop or something, i rinse it. Clumpy rice is worse. Even for sushi rice you rinse it, and then soak it. You want it sticky, not clumpy.
Bubbells
Dude I have seen rice bought in the US and that stuff had bugs in it, we didn't realize this till after we put it in the pantry and saw them spread to half the pantry. Wash your rice, and don't trust discount rice
undrh2o
Job sticks sounds like too much work
Etereo
Starch
cousteau
It does not?? I always washed brown rice, it seemed to have even more dust in it.
HelikaformerNubisKnight9
Main point you wash rice is cause rice plants draw arsenic out of the soil and that has to be reduced out of the rice by washing it.
Omni21
I still wash my brown rice to remove dust particles or any other impurity. I have to make Mexican rice frequently for my husband, but I only use brown since he has diabetes. Washing it doesn't hurt. Guess it's just preference.
CrumpetsWithHoneyAreCrumpetsWithBeeVomit
What in the King Fu are "job sticks"? 🤣
RobBobertyYT
What the helk is King Fu?
TheCarolingian
What in all that's holly is helk?
CrumpetsWithHoneyAreCrumpetsWithBeeVomit
Goddamn it! Got me too. Fucking autocorrect. 🤣😭
sosume
Job sticks:
Zalm
I'm guessing you got the 10mm in a locked drawer on that cabinet?
Craigpd
But where's the universally bendy job sticks?!
GorillaPowers
Sticks with jobs
deletable
Branch manager joke here…..
azarza
rice sticks together because it hasn't been soaked or fluffed, and it will stick together after sitting in a fridge for a night.
Salticido
I think they just mean it will have a stickier texture when cooked because of the extra starch.
Charcharm
And then it will be perfect for fried rice❤️
sometimesarobot
Wash your rice.
pallemanns
Always wondered if cooking it in water like noodles, where you strain the rice in the end, is enough washing.
mikeatike
If you need to strain your rice when it's done, something has gone horribly wrong.
pallemanns
Depends on the type of rice? At least my basmati says to be cooked liked that. It says to be cooked like noodles. 🤷♂️
1LostPuppy
What about my balls?
cazaron
Boil for like, 12-15 minutes.
IAmTheBadW01f
If you can't afford a storebought vasectomy then homemade is fine
augifinn
Jo Koy taught me that! Makes a diff!
Dasnekones
No this is bad. Unless you can't trust the quality, if you wash or don't wash your rice based on how intend to cook it. Gives two different versions of rice based on how much starch is left.
Salticido
Yup, washed rice gives you the fluffy separate grains, and unwashed is for a stickier rice.
EmailFail
I microwave mine
MetalPsychologist
Why? Whats wrong with trace amounts of arsenic accumulating every time you eat some rice?
MAN9000
Washing your rice won't remove the arsenic from inside the rice.
NuclearMonk
It pairs nicely with the microplastics.
HoldingAccount
WoopDeFrickenDoo
but why? it tastes the same to me
LonelyVoid
It's not about taste, it's about reducing arsenic levels to be less of a risk to your long term health
sometimesarobot
You're not washing it enough
WoopDeFrickenDoo
oh
Akule
What I imagine when you said that.
HermitPrime
Unless it's enriched instant rice.
hiyesthisissatan
Go to your room.
sometimesarobot
Instant rice...
charondaboatman
Don’t buy that shit. Just buy some good quality rice. Rinse it until the water is almost clear. Put some in a good rice cooker and follow the instructions. Or, put some in a heavy bottom high wall pan, then cover with water until it’s 3/4” deep above the rice. Bring it to a boil, cover and turn the heat to as low as it will go. Check it in 20-25 minutes. If you want it sticky and gooey, don’t rinse it.
HermitPrime
Or do, I don't care. I'm not your dad. Just don't try to wash it if you do.
DeafBastard
I don’t have time or money for that, I put the bag of instant rice in the microwave grab my things and eat the rice out the bag on my way to work
Trelis
In the west you don't need to, it's already treated. If you get rice from local Asian store with Asian labels rather than local language then you need to wash it, yes.
justiPumpkinTaker
And where was this rice grown? With what was it grown? Only fresh spring water you say? Never a fertilizer or pesticide? Never manure?
Wash your rice. It's 30s and it affects your health in a big way. Not worth the risk
TinySmackGodMFERS
I use to stock rice at the Walmarts in the United States, bugsdo be coming in the bags, wash yo rice
Salticido
It depends on what you're cooking too, though. If you want fluffy separate grains, you should wash it. If you want it sticky, you shouldn't, assuming it's safe not to. Because the residue will thicken on it like more of a risotto consistency if you don't wash it.
WhyIsTherePooUnderTheToiletSeat
Treated? I thought you wash the rice because of the grains rubbing against each other creating rice flour. The rice flour will make the water starchy and the rice sticky
spamislife
It also is not the most sanitary product when it’s processed and your rinsing off more than some rice dust
Bonsaipanda
Put the rice in cold water. If the water turns white, you need to wash it.
thinkybrainpains
lolz
Khornight
White could just be starch… which in some dishes you want to remain.
Bonsaipanda
Yes, leftover starch is also an indicator that the rice has not been treated.
buttcreambandit
Regardless of how it’s treated washing it makes for a better tasting rice. It changes the finished texture in a good way
spicepoet
https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/which-brands-and-sources-of-rice-have-the-least-arsenic/ 365 Brand rice has the most arsenic. By a lot.
spicepoet
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10375490/ last year, and more recent. it's only gone up.
cardinal29
American rice has arsenic, which was used as a pesticide until the 1980s. Residue remains in the soil. The levels of arsenic can be reduced by: rinsing using a wire sieve, and cooking it like pasta, and then pouring the water off.
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LonelyVoid
It's kinda impossible to get your level of exposure to every toxin that exists to absolute zero. Toxins just kind of exist in the environment and you're gonna consume them, especially if you're a few steps up on the food chain. That's what you have a liver for. That said, you should still make an effort to reduce the amount you consume as much as possible, especially when there's a specific source that has increased levels of a toxin, like rice
PwnageHobo
Why are you buying American rice? Good rice comes from Pakistan.
TacoPoweredHelicopter
If the arsenic is residual in the soil then it's in the rice not coating it.
I can't even fathom your logic here...
cardinal29
It's not "my" logic buddy. It's widely published for years. https://sites.dartmouth.edu/arsenicandyou/arsenic-in-rice-and-rice-products
vindik8or
Washing rice like this isn't going to get rid of a significant amount of the arsenic present. It's done to remove excess starch that will make the rice too sticky and gluggy. If you want to remove the arsenic then you need to soak the rice for hours (overnight+) and discard that water.
OranjeBeered
57% is significant and doesn't take overnight. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16876928/
sometimesarobot
You always need to wash your rice.
Sakkura
Good way to always ruin your risotto.
mikeatike
Yes, wash long grain rice, not short.
WoopDeFrickenDoo
who do I belieeeeeve?!
bitemark
Honestly, it doesn't make *that* much of a difference in the west. But it comes out nicer if you do. Try it for yourself
sometimesarobot
Asia. Wash your rice.
MightyUrto
You don't have to wash your rice. It actually removes nutrients in some cases.
Pelican3
So all of you know about coffee right?
itsrendering
- white rice: Washing is recommended to remove excess starch, which can make the rice sticky. Rinsing also helps remove any dirt or impurities.
- sushi rice: Washing is essential to achieve the right texture and stickiness needed for sushi.
- brown rice: Washing can help remove any dust or debris, but it is not as crucial for texture as it is with white rice.
- enriched rice: Some rice is enriched with vitamins and minerals, which can be washed away if rinsed.
Sakkura
The stickyness is a requirement for some dishes. You ruin a risotto if you wash the rice.
DontcallmeRooster
I've seen rice production in foreign countries. I will ALWAYS wash my rice.
Sakkura
Ah yes, because foreign countries are all the same.
DontcallmeRooster
Ok. You can eat the Korean road bag rice.
Bunhyung
I installed radio antennas inside the Poland Springs water bottling plant and distribution center in Maine. I will ALWAYS wash my five gallon bottles with 91% Isopropyl alcohol.
IGotMyDreamJobProgrammingGames
I wasn't using those nutrients anyway
Badgerbadgerson3
AW HAEELLLLLLLLL NAWWW! DISHONOR ON YOU! DISHONOR ON YOUR FAMILY!
MightyUrto
🤣
bEEfmAn923
DISHONOR ON YOUR COW!
Thunderbox666
while its true it removes some nutrients like copper, iron, zinc, and vanadium, studies show it also removes over 20% of microplastics, 90% of arsenic (occurs naturally in rice) and up to 20% of other heavy metal contaminants like lead and cadmium..... so the studies show its a clear net benefit to wash your rice
76000BatteryLlamas
Doubt - because that shit is in the water you use to wash your rice - especially in Asia
MightyUrto
Share the link to the studies pkease. Because the I've read arsenic concern is extraordinarily minor.
Thunderbox666
I don't have a link to the full study, but the study was done by hongyan li in 2018 titled starch molecular structure: the basis for an improved understanding of cooked rice structure. There's lots of citations in other articles you can find by searching that title
I never said the concern for Arsenic was high, just that the study concluded there was more benefit to washing the rice than you lose. It also determined it has very little effect on the texture in many cases
cardinal29
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm (There is a paywall but 12 Foot Ladder works)
Sakkura
Scientific evidence shows that boiling and then draining the rice is much more effective at removing arsenic. Washing is not the right approach if that's your concern. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2009/EM/B816906C#!divAbstract
Jinxer13
Would that also apply to nutrients? Is boiling and draining more effective at removing nutrients than washing? Just curious
LonelyVoid
Something being more effective doesn't mean that the less effective version isn't still functional or in some cases even better. When you're making public safety recommendations you have to take into account people's behavior. Most people are not gonna start boiling their rice like that. If you tell them that's the only effective method, they just won't do anything. People are much more likely to wash their rice, so if you offer that as an option, they will at least do that much
Sakkura
Why do you claim people won't do that? It's already a common way to cook rice in some places, like Southern/Central Asia. It's also how you make certain dishes like pakki biryani.