Rice is an everyday meal staple all over the world. Americans ate about 4.8 million metric tons of rice in 2022-2023, according to Statista.
Some Chefs Say, It Depends on the Dish—But Are They Right? According to certain culinary experts, you wash your rice depending on the texture you want in your finished dish. This is because, when you wash rice, it removes a lot of the starch and changes the texture. As a result, your rice is lighter and fluffier — but this isn’t what you want for stickier dishes, like rice puddings.
However, not everyone agrees with the chefs. Research shows that washing rice doesn’t actually change the texture of the grain; the resulting fluffiness is a result of the type of rice that’s being used. So you may wish to listen to other experts instead.Health Experts Say You Should Wash Your Rice Because Arsenic is a Factor Rinsing rice removes dust particles, chemicals and other detritus and separates the grains.
However, you should know that the FDA’s research shows standard methods of washing remove just minimal amounts of arsenic, while removing a large amount of the nutrients in rice, including iron, folate, niacin and vitamins. How much often depends on the type of rice and the rinsing and cooking process.MORE: Stick of butter rice is the 4-ingredient dish you need in your weeknight rotation