Rice is a staple food for billions of people worldwide and is used in many iconic dishes. But the question that arises in every kitchen is whether or not to pre-wash rice before cooking….CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>

While many culinary experts advocate washing rice to reduce the amount of starch, others believe it’s unnecessary, and some even suggest it may wash away essential nutrients.

A recent study compared the effect of washing on the stickiness and hardness of three different types of rice from the same supplier. The research showed that washing had no effect on the stickiness of the rice.

Instead, the stickiness was due to the variety of rice and a different starch called amylopectin that gets leached out during cooking. So, it’s the type of rice that’s critical to stickiness, not washing.

Traditionally, rice was washed to remove dust, insects, and little stones left from the rice hulling process. More recently, with the heavy use of plastics in the food supply chain, microplastics have been found in our foods, including rice.

The washing process has been shown to remove up to 20% of plastics from uncooked rice. However, washing rice also rinses out a large amount of essential nutrients, including copper, iron, zinc, and vanadium.

Rice is also known to contain relatively high levels of arsenic, which can be harmful to our health. Washing rice has been shown to remove about 90% of bio-accessible arsenic, but it also removes a large amount of other essential nutrients.

The best advice is to pre-wash your rice, consume a variety of grains, and be mindful of the arsenic levels in other foods, including products made from rice.

Despite popular belief, washing rice does not prevent bacteria. High temperatures during cooking will kill all bacteria present in the cooked rice. While washing rice may not be necessary for some dishes, it may provide peace of mind for people in regions where processing is not as meticulous.

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