Timing Matters When It Comes To Seasoning Rice
Rice is a staple ingredient utilized across the globe. The beauty of this grain isn't just about its ability to be sustaining, delivering essential calories and nutrients, but it is also extremely adaptable — which is perhaps part of why it is so widely beloved. In various cuisines, rice is flavored and served in myriad ways, making for some of the most memorable and pervasive culinary classics.
Yet while it is an excellent platform for so many flavors, when it comes to seasoning your rice, it's best to approach it with one consistent strategy. It may seem perfectly reasonable to add in your tasty elements at the table or just before serving, but the truth is you'll be missing an opportunity for optimal enjoyment. Instead, start flavoring early in the cooking process, incorporating your selection of seasonings before you bring your cooking liquid to a boil and before reducing to a simmer.
By following this tip, you allow all those delicious elements to really permeate and meld as the rice continues to cook. If you wait until the last minute, you're essentially just coating your rice rather than infusing it with flavor. There are mistakes that keep you from making perfect rice, and you don't need to let a little timing snafu sink your dish.
Selecting your seasonings and other considerations
There are so many ways to bring flavor to your rice, and with nothing more than some herbs, spices, and aromatics like garlic and onion, your dish will transport you. Whether you want to visit Mexico with pepper flakes, cilantro, and chilies, India with turmeric, curry, cinnamon, and cumin, Japan with furikake and scallions, or Italy with basil, oregano, and parsley — or beyond — there's an almost boundless sense of possibility when preparing rice. The type of rice you rely on will also have an impact on the flavor of your dish. You can technically use sushi or short grain rice, but long grain options like jasmine or basmati are sturdier and will be able to stand up to certain additions.
There are a few more tips you can follow to make sure your rice is its best self. Rinsing before cooking it helps keep your bowl of grains fluffy. And you can upgrade any rice with one simple extra toasting step that will add a nutty depth to your finished product. In addition to seasonings, the cooking liquid you use will make a difference to the flavor of your rice, so decide whether you want to use water, milk, coconut milk, broth, or even pan drippings from a cooked protein. No matter what you choose, as long as you adhere to this timing tip, you should have no problem turning out a delicious, perfectly seasoned rice dish.