glutinous rice

Glutinous rice ('' Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose content, and is especially sticky when cooked. It is widely consumed across Asia.

It is called glutinous ( la, glūtinōsus) in the sense of being glue-like or sticky, and not in the sense of containing gluten (which it does not). While often called ''sticky rice'', it differs from non-glutinous strains of japonica rice which also become sticky to some degree when cooked. There are numerous cultivars of glutinous rice, which include ''japonica'', ''indica'' and ''tropical japonica'' strains.

History

In China, glutinous rice has been grown for at least 2,000 years. However, researchers believe that glutinous rice distribution appears to have been culturally influenced and closely associated with the early southward migration and distribution of the Tai ethnic groups, particularly the Lao people along the Mekong River basin originating from Southern China.  

Cultivation

Glutinous rice is grown in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Northeast India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. An estimated 85% of Lao rice production is of this type. The rice has been recorded in the region for at least 1,100 years.

As of 2013, approximately 6,530 glutinous rice varieties were collected from five continents (Asia, South America, North America, Europe and Africa) where glutinous rice are grown for preservation at the International Rice Genebank (IRGC). The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has described Laos as a "collector's paradise". Laos has the largest biodiversity of sticky rice in the world. IRRI-trained collectors gathered more than 13,500 samples and 3,200 varieties from Laos alone.

Composition

Glutinous rice is distinguished from other types of rice by 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. The difference has been traced to a single mutation that was selected for by farmers.

Like all types of rice, glutinous rice does not contain dietary gluten (i.e. does not contain glutenin and gliadin), and should be safe for gluten-free diets.

Glutinous rice can be used either milled or unmilled (that is, with the bran removed or not removed). Milled glutinous rice is white and fully opaque (unlike non-glutinous rice varieties, which are somewhat translucent when raw), whereas the bran can give unmilled glutinous rice a purple or black color. Black and purple glutinous rice are distinct strains from white glutinous rice. In developing Asia, there is little regulation, and some governments have issued advisories about toxic dyes being added to colour adulterated rice. Both black and white glutinous rice can be cooked as discrete grains, or ground into flour and cooked as a paste or gel.

Use in foods

Sticky rice is used in many recipes throughout Southeast and East Asia, such as in dumplings, as a filling or side in spicy dishes, with beans and fried by itself. (Rice cakes.)

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh and especially in the Chittagong (Cox's Bazar and Sylhet areas), sticky rice called ''bini dhan'' (unhusked sticky rice) is very popular. Both white and pink varieties are cultivated at many homestead farms. Husked sticky rice is called ''bini choil'' (chal) in some dialects. Boiled or steamed ''bini choil'' is called ''Bini Bhat''. Served with a curry of fish or meat and grated coconut, ''Bini Bhat'' is a popular breakfast. Sometimes it is eaten with a splash of sugar, salt, and coconut alone. ''Bin dhan'' is also used to make ''khoi'' (popcorn-like puffed rice) and ''chida'' (bitten husked rice).

Many other sweet items made of ''bini choil'' are also popular:

One of the favorite pitas made of ''bini choil'' is ''atikka pita'' (pitha). It is made with a mixture of cubed or small sliced coconut, white or brown sugar, ripe bananas and ''bini choil'' wrapped with banana leaf and steamed.

Another delicacy is ''Patishapta'' pita made of ground ''bini choil''. Ground ''bini choil'' is sprayed over a hot pan and a mixture of grated coconut, sugar, milk powder; then ghee is sprayed over that and rolled out. Dumplings made of powdered fried ''bini choil'' called laru. First ''bini choil'' is fried and ground into flour. This flour is mixed with sugar or brown sugar, and ghee or butter and is made into small balls or dumplings.

One kind of porridge or ''khir'' made of ''bini choil'' is called ''modhu (honey) bhat''. This ''modhu bhat'' becomes naturally sweet without mixing any sugar. It is one of the delicacies of local people. To make ''modhu bhat'' first prepare some normal paddy or rice ''(dhan)'' for germination by soaking it in the water for few days. After coming out of little sprout dry the paddy and husk and grind the husked rice called ''jala choil'' into flour. It tastes sweet. Mixing this sweet flour with freshly boiled or steamed warm ''bini bhat'' and then fermenting the mixture overnight yields ''modhu bhat''. It is eaten either on its own or with milk, jaggery or grated coconut.

Cambodia

Glutinous rice is known as ''bay damnaeb'' ( km, បាយដំណើប) in Khmer.

In Cambodian cuisine, glutinous rice is used exclusively for desserts and is an essential ingredient for most sweet dishes, such as ''ansom chek'', '' kralan'', and ''num ple aiy''.

China

In the Chinese language, glutinous rice is known as ''nuòmǐ'' (糯米) or ''chu̍t-bí'' (秫米) in Hokkien.

Glutinous rice is also often ground to make glutinous rice flour. This flour is made into '' niangao'' and sweet-filled dumplings '' tangyuan'', both of which are commonly eaten at Chinese New Year. It is also used as a thickener and for baking.

Glutinous rice or glutinous rice flour are both used in many Chinese bakery products and in many varieties of dim sum. They produce a flexible, resilient dough, which can take on the flavors of whatever other ingredients are added to it. Cooking usually consists of steaming or boiling, sometimes followed by pan-frying or deep-frying.

Sweet glutinous rice is eaten with red bean paste.

''Nuòmǐ fàn'' (糯米飯), is steamed glutinous rice usually cooked with Chinese sausage, chopped Chinese mushrooms, chopped barbecued pork, and optionally dried shrimp or scallop (the recipe varies depending on the cook's preference).

'' Zongzi'' (Traditional Chinese 糭子/糉子, Simplified Chinese 粽子) is a dumpling consisting of glutinous rice and sweet or savory fillings wrapped in large flat leaves (usually bamboo), which is then boiled or steamed. It is especially eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, but may be eaten at any time of the year. It is popular as an easily transported snack, or a meal to consume while traveling. It is a common food among Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Cifangao (Traditional Chinese 糍飯糕, Simplified Chinese 糍饭糕) is a popular breakfast food originating in Eastern China consisting of cooked glutinous rice compressed into squares or rectangles, and then deep-fried. Additional seasoning and ingredients such as beans, zha cai, and sesame seeds may be added to the rice for added flavour. It has a similar appearance and external texture to hash browns.

'' Cifantuan'' (Traditional Chinese 糍飯糰, Simplified Chinese 糍饭团) is another breakfast food consisting of a piece of youtiao tightly wrapped in cooked glutinous rice, with or without additional seasoning ingredients. Japanese onigiri resembles this Chinese food.

'' Lo mai gai'' (糯米雞) is a dim sum dish consisting of glutinous rice with chicken in a lotus-leaf wrap, which is then steamed. It is served as a dim sum dish in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.

''Ba bao fan'' (八寶飯), or "eight treasure rice", is a dessert made from glutinous rice, steamed and mixed with lard, sugar, and eight kinds of fruits or nuts. It can also be eaten as the main course.

A distinctive feature of the Cuisine of the Hakka people of Southern China is its variety of steamed snack-type buns, dumplings and patties made with a dough of coarsely ground rice, or ''ban''. Collectively known as "rice snacks", some kinds are filled with various salty or sweet ingredients.

Common examples of rice snacks made with ''ban'' from glutinous or sticky rice and non-glutinous rice include ''Aiban'' (mugwort patty), ''Caibao'' ( yam bean bun), ''Ziba'' (sticky rice balls) and ''Bantiao'' (''Mianpaban'' or flat rice noodles).

''Aiban'' encompasses several varieties of steamed patties and dumplings of various shapes and sizes, consisting of an outer layer made of glutinous ''ban'' dough filled with salty or sweet ingredients. It gets its name from the aromatic ''ai'' grass ( mugwort), which after being dried, powdered and mixed with the ''ban'', gives the dough a green color and an intriguing tea-like taste. Typical salty fillings include ground pork, mushrooms, and shredded white turnips. The most common sweet filling is made with red beans.

''Caibao'' is a generic term for all types of steamed buns with various sorts of filling. Hakka-style ''caibao'' are distinctive in that the enclosing skin is made with glutinous rice dough in the place of wheat flour dough. Besides ground pork, mushrooms and shredded turnips, fillings may include ingredients such as dried shrimp and dry fried-shallot flakes.

''Ziba'' is glutinous rice dough which, after steaming in a big container, is mashed into a sticky, putty-like mass from which small patties are formed and coated with a layer of sugary peanut powder. It has no filling.

Philippines

In the Philippines, glutinous rice is known as ''malagkit'' in Tagalog or ''pilit'' in Visayan, among other names. Both mean "sticky". The most common way glutinous rice is prepared in the Philippines is through soaking uncooked glutinous rice in water or coconut milk (usually overnight) and then grinding it into a thick paste (traditionally with stone mills). This produces a rich and smooth viscous rice dough known as ''galapóng'', which is the basis for numerous rice cakes in the Philippines. However, in modern preparation methods, ''galapong'' is sometimes made directly from dry glutinous rice flour (or from commercial Japanese '' mochiko''), with poorer-quality results.

''Galapong'' was traditionally allowed to ferment, which is still required for certain dishes. A small amount of starter culture of microorganisms ('' tapay'' or ''bubod'') or palm wine (''tubâ'') may be traditionally added to rice being soaked to hasten the fermentation. These can be substituted with yeast or baking soda in modern versions. Other versions of ''galapong'' may also be treated with wood ash lye.

Aside from the numerous white and red glutinous rice cultivars, the most widely used glutinous rice heirloom cultivars in the Philippines are '' tapol'' rice, which is milky white in color, and '' pirurutong'' rice, which range in color from black to purple to reddish brown. However both varieties are expensive and becoming increasingly rare, thus some Filipino recipes nowadays substitute it with dyed regular glutinous rice or infuse purple yam (''ube'') to achieve the same coloration.

Dessert delicacies in the Philippines are known as '' kakanin'' (from ''kanin'', "prepared rice"). These were originally made primarily from rice, but in recent centuries, the term has come to encompass dishes made from other types of flour, including corn flour (''masa''), cassava, wheat, and so on. Glutinous rice figures prominently in two main subtypes of ''kakanin'': the ''puto'' ( steamed rice cakes), and the '' bibingka'' (baked rice cakes). Both largely utilize glutinous rice ''galapong''. A notable variant of ''puto'' is '' puto bumbong'', which is made with ''pirurutong''.

Other ''kakanin'' that use glutinous rice include '' suman'', '' biko'', and '' sapin-sapin'' among others. There is also a special class of boiled ''galapong'' dishes like '' palitaw'', '' moche'', '' mache'', and '' masi''. Fried ''galapong'' is also used to make various types of '' buchi'', which are the local Chinese-Filipino versions of '' jian dui''. They are also used to make '' puso'', which are boiled rice cakes in woven leaf pouches.

Aside from ''kakanin'', glutinous rice is also used in traditional Filipino rice gruels or porridges known as '' lugaw''. They include both savory versions like '' arroz caldo'' or ''goto'' which are similar to Chinese-style congee; and dessert versions like '' champorado'', '' binignit'', and '' ginataang mais''.

Indonesia

Glutinous rice is known as ''beras ketan'' or simply ''ketan'' in Java and most of Indonesia, and ''pulut'' in Sumatra. It is widely used as an ingredient for a wide variety of sweet, savoury or fermented snacks. Glutinous rice is used as either hulled grains or milled into flour. It is usually mixed with santan, meaning coconut milk in Indonesian, along with a bit of salt to add some taste. Glutinous rice is rarely eaten as a staple. One example is '' lemang'', which is glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in bamboo stem lined by banana leaves. Glutinous rice is also sometimes used in a mix with normal rice in rice dishes such as '' nasi tumpeng'' or nasi tim. It is widely used during the Lebaran seasons as traditional food. It is also used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as '' tuak'' and ''brem bali''.

Savoury snacks

* Ketan - traditionally refers to the glutinous rice itself as well as sticky rice delicacy in its simplest form. The handful mounds of glutinous rice are rounded and sprinkled with grated coconut, either fresh or sauteed as serundeng.
* Ketupat - square-shaped crafts made from the same local leaves as ''palas'', but it is usually filled with regular rice grains instead of ''pulut'', though it depends on the maker.
* Gandos - a snack made from ground glutinous rice mixed with grated coconut, and the fried.
* Lemang - wrapped in banana leaves and inside a bamboo, and left to be barbecued/grilled on an open fire, to make the taste and texture tender and unique
* Lemper - cooked glutinous rice with shredded meat inside and wrapped in banana leaves, popular in Java
* Nasi kuning - either common rice or glutinous rice can be made into ketan kuning, yellow rice colored with turmeric
* Songkolo or Sokko - steamed black glutinous rice serves with serundeng, anchovies, and sambal. It was very popular in Makassar
* Tumpeng - glutinous rice can be made into tumpeng nasi kuning, yellow rice colored by turmeric, and shaped into a cone.

Sweet snacks

* Variety of kue - glutinous rice flour is also used in certain traditional local desserts, known as '' kue'', such as ''kue lapis''.
* Bubur ketan hitam - black glutinous rice porridge with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup
* Candil - glutinous rice flour cake with sugar and grated coconut
* Dodol - traditional sweets made of glutinous rice flour and coconut sugar. Similar variants include ''wajik'' (or ''wajit'').
* Gemblong - white glutinous rice flour balls smeared with palm sugar caramel. In East Java, it was known as ''getas'', except it uses black glutinous rice flour as the main ingredient.
* Jipang (food)

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