rice
Also known as: Long grain white rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, rice (Uncooked, (wild?))
A starchy grain and staple food for much of the world's population, with varieties -- long-grain, short-grain, basmati, jasmine, and others -- that differ meaningfully in texture, aroma, and stickiness once cooked. Rinsing rice before cooking washes away loose surface starch and produces more separate, distinct grains, but some dishes, like risotto or certain puddings, rely on that starch staying put, so rinsing isn't always the right move.
Buying guidance
Match the specific variety a dish expects rather than treating rice as one thing -- jasmine and basmati are aromatic long grains that stay relatively separate, while short and medium grains are stickier and clump, which matters a great deal for texture. Buy from a store with reasonable turnover; rice doesn't spoil quickly, but a musty smell or visible pests in a bulk bin are signs to avoid it.
Substitutions
- A different long-grain rice, such as jasmine for basmati or vice versa -- similar texture, a distinct difference in aroma.
- Short or medium-grain rice for long-grain -- noticeably stickier result, fine if that texture isn't a problem.
- Quinoa -- a reasonable grain side-dish swap, but doesn't behave like rice when a specific cooking method depends on rice's starch.
Tips & common mistakes
Lifting the lid to check on rice partway through cooking lets out the steam the grains need to finish cooking evenly, and stirring the pot while it cooks knocks loose extra starch that makes the rice gummy instead of separate -- leave both alone until the cooking time is up.
Storage
Cooked rice left out at room temperature is a well-known cause of food poisoning, because the bacteria responsible for it survive cooking as heat-resistant spores and then multiply as a big pot of rice cools slowly -- spread it out in a shallow container to cool quickly and refrigerate within an hour or two rather than leaving the pot on the counter. Dry white rice keeps almost indefinitely sealed in the pantry, but brown rice contains oils in its bran layer that turn rancid within a few months at room temperature, so it keeps much longer refrigerated or frozen.