Do You Wash Rice Before Cooking? Here’s What Experts Say Really Happens
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتساب
Washing rice before cooking is routine in many kitchens, but science suggests the answer is more nuanced than simply saying rice should—or should not—be washed.
Rinsing rice in cool water can remove dust, milling residue and some surface starch. Harvard’s Nutrition Source recommends rinsing rice in cool water until the water becomes clearer when washing is desired.
However, repeated washing does not necessarily make cooked rice dramatically less sticky. A study published in Food Chemistry found that washing had no major overall effect on the hardness or stickiness of cooked rice, although the variety of rice can influence the result.
Rinsing is also not especially effective at removing arsenic. FDA research found that ordinary rinsing has only a minimal effect on arsenic levels. Cooking rice in six to ten parts water to one part rice and draining the excess water can reduce inorganic arsenic by roughly 40–60%, depending on the rice.
There is a trade-off: this excess-water method can also remove substantial amounts of iron, folate, thiamine and niacin from enriched rice.
For everyday cooking, a quick rinse with cool water is reasonable unless the package advises otherwise. With enriched rice, excessive washing may remove some nutrients added to the surface of the grains.
