Chinese Rice

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 360, 17 May 1946, Page 27

Chinese Rice

Dear Aunt Daisy, You wete telling us one day about the Chinese way of cooking rice, Well, I have never cooked it any other way than that, as my father, who considered himself a good cook, taught us that way. He stood over us while we learnt to wash the rice, rubbing between our hands and swishing it around and around to be sure it was thoroughly clean. Then we had to keep on using more cold water until the water ran absolutely clear, and there was no trace of starchiness. Then we used to lay one hand flat on top of the rice, and cover the hand with cold water. Dad used to say that was sufficient water to cook rice, no matter what size pot or how much rice. The back of the hand should be covered with the. cold water. He always preferred iron saucepans for, his cooking. When the. froth bubbles out of the pot, as you stated, turn down gas or heat and cook

slowly. The rice doesn’t need any stirring | from start of cooking to the finish. You can see the grains of the rice are sepa‘ ated when it is cooked. You know, when I used to listen to other women discussing: the cooking of rice and how they run cold water through to separate the grains and then re-heat it, I always thought they were looking for unnecessary work, and that my way of cooking it was far simpler and quicker, and one loses none of its goodness that way, either. I may say that I’ve cooked rice this way for the last 21 years! Good luck to the Daisy Chain; may it continue for many years to come.

-Another

Daisy

Listener.