Japanese Method of Cooking Rice
Ingredients
Directions
Pick and wash the rice.
Place the rice in a saucepan with just enough cold water to prevent burning.
Cover the saucepan and steam the rice until nearly done, avoiding boiling.
Remove the cover to let excess steam and moisture escape.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Rice
- Starch that absorbs water and swells, becoming tender and forming the cooked texture of the dish.
- Cold water
- Provides the moisture the rice absorbs as it cooks, with just enough added to prevent scorching.
The step that matters
Steam without boiling. Gentle steaming lets the rice absorb water evenly and cook through. Vigorous boiling can scorch the bottom and leave the grains uneven or mushy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Deviled Oysters25 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.