Glutinous rice - Books - Famous Chinese Shopping City

March 8, 2014


		1 Introduction 2 Laotian / Isan traditions 3 Chinese traditions 4 Japanese traditions 5 Vietnamese traditions 6 Thai traditions 7 Filipino traditions 8 Slang 9 See also 10 External links

Famous Chinese Shopping City Books

Glutinous rice

Wikipedia

Glutinous rice, also called sticky rice or sweet rice, is the main type of rice grown and consumed by the Lao of Laos and Northeast Thailand, areas which are considered to be the primary center of origin and domestication of Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.). It has been cultivated in this area for 4,000 years. An estimated 85% of Lao rice production is of this type. Despite the misleading name, glutinous rice does not contain dietary gluten (i.e. does not contain glutenin and gliadin), and thus in theory should be safe for gluten-free diets. The word glutinous, meaning glue-like or sticky, comes from the Latin gl??tin??sus. The term glutinous rice refers to rice having no (or negligible amounts of) amylose, and high amounts of amylopectin, the two components of starch. Amylopectin is responsible for the sticky quality of glutinous rice.

In Thai language|Thai, Laotian language|Lao and Isan language|Isan, sticky rice is kao neaw (Thai ??????????????????????????????) : "kao" means rice, and "neaw" means sticky.

The improved rice varieties that swept through Asia during the Green Revolution were non-glutinous types and Lao farmers rejected them in favour of their traditional sticky varieties. Gradually though, improved higher-yield strains of sticky rice became available from the Laotian National Rice Research Programme. By 1999, more than 70% of the area along the Mekong River Valley was of the newer strains.
Image: Stickyrice.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A packet of sticky rice in a traditional Isan banana-leaf wrapper

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Laotian / Isan traditions

Image:Lao_cuisine_ricebasket.jpg|thumb|250px|A Lao rice basket

Sticky rice is usually served in a small basket made out of bamboo (Thai ?????????????????????) ; the fingers of the right hand are used to eat it by wadding the rice. Two of the most popular dishes are gai yang|gai yaang and som tam|tam mak hung (Thai ตำหมากหุ่ง). Gai yaang is grilled chicken, while tam mak hung is a spicy papaya salad.

Kao neaw is also eaten with desserts. Kao neaw moon is Kao neaw steaming|steamed with coconut milk that can be served with ripened mango or durian. And kao neaw kluay is banana and kao neaw steamed together, usually with coconut milk.

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Chinese traditions

The Chinese have adopted sticky rice as part of their diet, mostly in seasonal or holiday-related foods. For example, zongzi is a Chinese dumpling consisting of sticky rice and fillings steamed in leaves, usually eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. Lo mai kai is a parcel of sticky rice and chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed. It is served as a dim sum dish in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Sticky rice can be made into glutinous rice flour, which is used in Chinese cooking as a thickener, for baking and for making dumplings.

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Japanese traditions

In Japan, glutinous rice is known as mochigome. It is used to make mochi, a traditional rice cake typically eaten during the Japanese New Year. See also Japanese rice.

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Vietnamese traditions

Sticky rice, known as x??i (cooked) or nếp (uncooked) in Vietnamese language|Vietnamese, is most typically eaten during each full moon as offerings. It is also common during Tet|Tết, the Vietnamese New Year.

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Thai traditions

Thai people also use toasted sticky rice (Kao Kua) to add a nut like flavor to many dishes.

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Filipino traditions

In the Philippines, sticky rice is mixed with sugar and cooked in banana leaves to produce "suman" - the most popular version topped with "bukayo": grated coconut cooked in sugar. Other regions eat suman as a snack with ripe mangoes or bananas.

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Slang

"Sticky rice" is also a slang term for gay Asian males who are exclusively or predominantly attracted to other gay Asian males. It may or may not be considered offensive.

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