Starches Used in Thai Cuisine

When cooked, a good dried rice noodle (made from ground rice and water) should taste like fresh rice with a tender but not mushy bite. Our winning rice noodles, A Taste of Thai Straight Cut Rice Noodles, are wide, flat, and firm, which means they cook up with a “toothsome but satisfying chew.”

Pro Tip: To cook rice noodles, place 8 ounces of noodles in a bowl. Cover with boiling water, and let them sit until they are pliant, about 8 minutes. After draining and rinsing the noodles with cold water, toss them with oil to prevent sticking.

Thai sticky rice gets its "sticky" quality from the type of rice used. When you’re shopping, look for rice that’s labeled “Thai glutinous rice” or “Thai sweet rice.” This rice is distinct from common white rice; it’s not just a different preparation. Glutinous rice is a short grain variety of rice grown in Southeast Asia. While many types of short grain rice may be lumped together and called “sticky rice,” true glutinous rice is a separate breed. Glutinous rice contains just one component of starch, called amylopectin, while other kinds of rice contain both molecules that make up starch: amylopectin and amylose.

Like brown rice, black rice is unpolished, meaning that the hull of the grain—a rich source of insoluble fiber—is still intact. But only black rice contains anthocyanins, the same antioxidant compounds that make blueberries and blackberries such valuable additions to our diets. These compounds are what turn the rice a deep purple as it cooks. The cooked grains remain distinct and firm to the bite, with pleasantly nutty and slightly sweet flavors.

Pro Tip: To prepare black rice, add 3½ cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of rice in a saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat. The grains should be tender after 30 minutes.

Jasmine rice is native to Thailand. Unlike ordinary rice, the jasmine variety carries a delicate floral and buttery scent that is highly prized in Thailand. In fact, the purest form of the rice, known as Hom Mali (“good smelling”), receives special government certification. Packages of jasmine rice containing no less than 92 percent Hom Mali are stamped with a green seal from Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade. Compared with other varieties of long-grain rice, jasmine rice tends to cook up relatively soft and sticky, though it maintains a slightly firm chew.