Gluttons for Glutinous Rice

There is nothing so central to Lao culture and food than sticky rice (also referred to as glutinous rice). Meals are not considered a meal unless there is rice present. Soaking, steaming and sharing rice together are all important rituals most Lao families repeat three times a day. Eating sticky rice yields a special opportunity to feel the warm soft texture of steamed rice. Sometimes, as the name depicts, the rice will feel a little sticky. It is easily kneaded with fingers into small balls, and then used to dip in various dishes or to pick up small cut vegetables and meat.

A Typical Lao Meal (With Sticky Rice)

While eating sticky rice, Lao people will comment on the flavor, smell and texture of the rice. Certain varieties are highly praised for the aroma and nutty flavor. Though a Lao family will generally eat white sticky rice on a daily basis, there are other colors, such as brown or purple, that are used for special occasions and dishes.

In my first year and a half in the country, I have only begun to learn about the vast world of sticky rice, the best ways to steam it and the many ways to enjoy eating it. I steam rice for ourselves to eat and enjoy. It’s a simple process, though time consuming.

Up Goes the Rice, Away Goes the Chaff

To begin making rice for our evening meal, I will start by cleaning and soaking the rice at about noon. I will generally steam about 4 cups of rice. It's enough for two 'non-Lao' eaters with a little leftover. This time of year the rice is ‘new,’ having just been harvested in the past few months. It only requires about 4 hours soaking. At the end of the growing year, when the rice has been stored many months, I often have to soak it 6 to 8 hours. You can tell old rice, by the clear, ‘glassy’ look of the kernels. Fresh, new rice has a creamy white color.

Rice Steamer Atop Water Pot

In the evening I start a fire and put on a pot of water to boil. Once the water has come to a full boil, rice is scooped out of the soaking bowl and placed into a special bamboo steamer. There are other steamer designs, some resembling a basket or whittled out of wood. Whatever the design, all steamers have a loosely woven bottom. Once the steamer is placed on the pot of boiling water, covered and sealed with a piece of cloth around the pot, steam will rise through the rice to cook it. Steaming rice usually takes about 30 min, but again it can depend on the freshness of the rice and the length of soaking.

Steamy Rice

After the rice is steamed, it is removed from the basket and stirred with a spoon. The rice is very hot; stirring it allows a release of steam so that it will not sweat once it is stored. Lao people will use a special basket lined with rice bag fabric, but since I don’t have one I improvise with a piece of linoleum. During this step of the process, it’s fun to smell the newly steamed rice and notice the beautifully shaped kernels. Sticky rice is unique in that once it is cooked the kernels still retain their shape. You will never have a mushy mass as can happen with normal white rice.

Rice Ball Ready for the Basket

Once enough heat has escaped and the rice is cool enough to handle by hand, it is loosely rolled into a ball and placed in the rice basket. Sticky rice is now ready to be eaten, whether shared with friends or family … enjoy the opportunity to relish in the delicious flavor and beauty of Lao culture!

Thank you, Mom and Dad Knisely, for the pictures!