This is a contentious topic because people wash rice for many reasons, and the practice has become ingrained culturally in many cuisines.
Some people wash rice to rinse off any debris that might be in the grains. Depending on where you live or source your rice, this might be necessary.
- In modern supermarkets, packaged rice is usually very clean, and doesn’t require extra cleaning.
- In the case of enriched long-grain rice, some people advise you to NOT rinse this, since you’ll wash off the nutrients that have been added back to the rice.
Many people wash rice for textural reasons, which is what most of the internet advice centers around.
- You’ve heard it before: rinse the grains until the water runs clear, signaling most of the excess free starch has been cleaned off, which leads to rice that doesn’t stick and clump together.
Is this necessary? And how much of a difference does it actually make?
It depends.
- In a risotto, rice porridge, or congee — you actually want as much excess starch as possible to thicken the dish, so leaving it unrinsed is preferable.
- With Mexican rice or pilaf, you the rice kernels in fat before adding butter. This sets the individual grains and prevents them from clumping together, which makes washing less necessary.
If making sushi rice or working with short-grain rice, however — washing can be advantageous to make sure the final product isn’t overly sticky
Our take: We think there is a lot of testing to be done, but personally don't find it super necessary when using a rice cooker or making long-grain rice like Jasmine or Basmati.
