Glutinous rice

Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is
a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, which has opaque grains, very
low amylose content, and is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous (<
Latin gltinsus)[1] in the sense of being glue-like or sticky, and not in the sense of
containing gluten. While often called "sticky rice", it differs from non-glutinous strains of japonica
rice which also become sticky to some degree when cooked. There are numerous cultivars of
glutinous rice, which include japonica, indica, and tropical japonica strains.

Cultivation
Glutinous rice is grown
in Laos, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh,
Northeast India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. An estimated 85% of Lao rice
production is of this type.[3] The rice has been recorded in the region for at least 1,100 years.
The improved rice varieties (in terms of yield) adopted throughout Asia during the Green
Revolution were non-glutinous, and Lao farmers rejected them in favor of their traditional sticky
varieties. Over time, higher-yield strains of glutinous rice have become available from the Lao
National Rice Research Programme. By 1999, more than 70% of the area along
the Mekong River Valley were of these newer strains.

Composition
Glutinous rice is distinguished from other types of rice by having no (or negligible amounts
of) amylose, and high amounts of amylopectin (the two components of starch). Amylopectin is
responsible for the sticky quality of glutinous rice. The difference has been traced to a single
mutation that was selected for by farmers.[2][4]
Like all types of rice, glutinous rice does not contain dietary gluten (i.e. does not
contain glutenin and gliadin), and should be safe for gluten-free diets.[citation needed]
Glutinous rice can be used either milled or unmilled (that is, with the bran removed or not
removed). Milled glutinous rice is white in color and fully opaque (unlike non-glutinous rice
varieties, which are somewhat translucent when raw), whereas the bran can give unmilled
glutinous rice a purple or black color.[5]Black and purple glutinous rice are distinct strains from
white glutinous rice. In developing Asia, there is little regulation, and some governments have
issued advisories about toxic dyes being added to colour adulterated rice. Both black and white
glutinous rice can be cooked as discrete grains, or ground into flour and cooked as a paste or gel.

Use in foods
Sticky rice is used in many recipes throughout Southeast and East Asia.

Sticky rice, called bora saul is the core component of Assamese sweets, snacks and breakfast.
They are widely used in every kind of traditional sweets of Assam which are very different from
traditional sweets of India of which basic component is milk.
Such traditional sweets in Assam are Pitha (Narikolor pitha, Til pitha, Ghila pitha, Tel pitha, Kettle
pitha, etc.). Also, its powder form is used as breakfast or other light meal directly with milk. They
are called Pitha guri (If powder was done without frying the rice, by just crushing it after soaking)
or Handoh guri (If rice is dry fried first, and then crushed).
The soaked rice is also cooked with no added water inside a special kind of bamboo (called sunga
saul bnaah). This meal is called sunga saul.
During religious ceremonies, Assamese people make Mithoi (Kesa mithoi and Poka mithoi)
using Gnud with it. Sometimes Bhog, Payakh and Khir are also made from it using milk and sugar
with it.
Different Assamese communities make rice beer from it which is preferred more than other rice,
as it is sweeter and more alcoholic. They also offer this beer to their gods and ancestors (demi-
gods). Rice cooked with it is also taken directly as lunch or dinner on rare occasions.[further explanation
needed]

Bangladeshi
In Bangladesh specially in Chittagong, Coxs Bazar and Sylhet areas the sticky rice called bini
dhan(unhusked sticky rice) is very popular. Both white and pink varieties are cultivated at many
homestead farms. Husked sticky rice is called bini choil (chal) in some dialects. Boiled or
steamed bini choil is called Bini Bhat. With meat or fish curry and grated coconut, Bini Bhat is a
popular breakfast. Some times it is eaten with a splash of sugar, salt and coconut only without
any curry. Bin dhan also used to make khoi (pop rice like pop corn) and chida (bitten husked rice).
Apart of these many other sweet items made of bini choil are popular. One of the favorite pitas
made of bini choil is atikka pita (pita).It is made with the mixture of cubed or small sliced coconut,
sugar or brown sugar, ripe banana and bini choil wrapped with banana leaf and steamed. Another
delicacy is Patishapta pita made of ground bini choil. Ground bini choil is sprayed over hot pan
and mixture of grated coconut, sugar, milk powder and ghee sprayed over it and rolled out.
Dumplings made of powdered fried bini choil called laru. First bini choil is fried and ground into
flour. This flour is mixed with sugar or brown sugar, and ghee or butter and is made into small
balls or dumplings. One kind of porridge or khir made of bini choil is called modhu (honey) bhat.
This modhu bhat becomes naturally sweet without mixing any sugar. It is one of the delicacies of
local people. To make modhu bhat first prepare some normal paddy or rice (dhan) for germination
by soaking it in the water for few days. After coming out of little sprout dry the paddy and husk
and grind the husked rice called jala choil into flour. It tastes sweet. Mixing this sweet flour with
freshly boiled or steamed warm bini bhat and then fermenting the mixture overnight yields modhu
bhat. It is eaten either on its own or with milk, jaggery or grated coconut.
Burmese
Glutinous rice, called kao hnyin (), is very popular in Myanmar (also known as
Burma).

Kao hnyin baung ( ) is a breakfast dish with boiled peas (pbyouk) or with a
variety of fritters, such as urad dal (baya gyaw), served on a banana leaf. It may be cooked
wrapped in a banana leaf, often with peas, and served with a sprinkle of salted toasted
sesame seeds and often grated coconut.
The purple variety, known as kao hynin ngacheik ( ), is equally popular cooked
as ngacheik paung.
They may both be cooked and pounded into cakes with sesame called hkaw bouk, another
favourite version in the north among the Shan and the Kachin, and served grilled or fried.
The Htaman pw (festival) takes place on the full moon of Dabodw (February),
when htaman is cooked in a huge wok. Two men, each with a wooden spoon the size of an
 oar, and a third man coordinate the action of folding and stirring the contents, which
include kao hnyin, ngacheik, coconut shavings, peanuts, sesame and ginger in peanut oil.
Si htamin () is glutinous rice cooked with turmeric and onions in peanut oil, and served
with toasted sesame and crisp-fried onions; it is a popular breakfast like kao hnyin
baung and ngacheik paung.
Paung din ( ) is another ready-to-eat portable form cooked in a segment of bamboo.
When the bamboo is peeled off, a thin skin remains around the rice and also gives off a
distinctive aroma.
Mont let kauk ( ) is made from glutinous rice flour; it is donut-shaped and fried
like baya gyaw, but eaten with a dip of jaggery or palm sugar syrup.
Nga pyaw douk, banana in glutinous rice, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed and served
with grated coconut - another favourite snack, like kao hnyin baung and mont let kauk, sold
by street hawkers.
Mont lone yei baw (
) are glutinous rice balls with jaggery inside, thrown into boiling
water in a huge wok, and ready to serve as soon as they resurface. Their preparation is a
tradition during Thingyan, the Burmese New Year festival.
Htoe mont ( ) , glutinous rice cake with raisins, cashews and coconut shavings, is a
traditional dessert for special occasions. It is appreciated as a gift item from Mandalay.

China
In the Chinese language, glutinous rice is known as num () or chut-b () in Hokkien.
Glutinous rice is also often ground to make glutinous rice flour. This flour is made into niangao and
sweet-filled dumplings tangyuan, both of which are commonly eaten at Chinese New Year. It also
used as a thickener and for baking.
Glutinous rice or glutinous rice flour are both used in many Chinese bakery products and in many
varieties of dim sum. They produce a flexible, resilient dough, which can take on the flavors of
whatever other ingredients are added to it. Cooking usually consists of steaming or boiling,
sometimes followed by pan-frying or deep-frying.
Sweet glutinous rice is eaten with red bean paste.[further explanation needed]
Num fn (), is steamed glutinous rice usually cooked with Chinese sausage, chopped
Chinese mushrooms, chopped barbecued pork, and optionally dried shrimp or scallop (the recipe
varies depending on the cook's preference).

Zongzi (Traditional Chinese /, Simplified Chinese ) is a dumpling consisting of

glutinous rice and sweet or savory fillings wrapped in large flat leaves (usually bamboo), which is
then boiled or steamed. It is especially eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, but may be eaten
at any time of the year. It is popular as an easily transported snack, or a meal to consume while
traveling. It is a common food among Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Cifangao (Traditional Chinese , Simplified Chinese ) is a popular breakfast food

originating in Eastern China consisting of cooked glutinous rice compressed into squares or
rectangles, and then deep-fried.[6] Additional seasoning and ingredients such as beans, zha cai,
and sesame seeds maybe added into the rice for added flavour. It has a similar appearance and
external texture to hash browns.
Cifantuan (Traditional Chinese , Simplified Chinese ) is another breakfast food
consisting of a piece of youtiao tightly wrapped in cooked glutinous rice, with or without additional
seasoning ingredients. Japanese onigiri resembles this Chinese food.
Lo mai gai () is a dim sum dish consisting of glutinous rice with chicken in a lotus-leaf wrap,
which is then steamed. It is served as a dim sum dish in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Ba bao fan (), or "eight treasure rice", is a dessert made from glutinous rice, steamed and
mixed with lard, sugar, and eight kinds of fruits or nuts.
Hakka
A distinctive feature of Hakka cuisine is its variety of steamed snack-type buns, dumplings and
patties made with a dough of coarsely ground rice, or ban. Collectively known as "rice snacks",
some kinds are filled with various salty or sweet ingredients.
Common examples of rice snacks made with ban from glutinous or sticky rice and non-glutinous
rice[further explanation needed] include Aiban (mugwort patty), Caibao (turnip bun)[This 'turnip' is not the
Western turnip. The proper name is yam bean. [In Mandarin Chinese, it is known as dush(
) or ling sh ()] Ziba (sticky rice balls) and Bantiao (Mianpaban or flat rice noodles).
Aiban encompasses several varieties of steamed patties and dumplings of various shapes and
sizes, consisting of an outer layer made of glutinous ban dough filled with salty or sweet
ingredients. It gets its name from the aromatic ai grass (mugwort), which after being dried,
powdered and mixed with the ban, gives the dough a green color and an intriguing tea-like taste.
Typical salty fillings include ground pork, mushrooms and shredded white turnips. The most
common sweet filling is made with red beans.
Caibao is a generic term for all types of steamed buns with various sorts of filling. Hakka-
style caibao are distinctive in that the enclosing skin is made with glutinous rice dough in the place
of wheat flour dough. Besides ground pork, mushrooms and shredded turnips, fillings may include
ingredients such as dried shrimp and dry fried-shallot flakes.
Ziba is glutinous rice dough which, after steaming in a big container, is mashed into a sticky, putty-
like mass from which small patties are formed and coated with a layer of sugary peanut powder.
It has no filling.
Filipino
In the Philippines, glutinous rice is known as malagkit (literally "sticky" in Tagalog, cognate
to Malay melekit); milled glutinous rice is known as galapong. Milling, that is, washing and
soaking the rice first, and then proceeding to milling, is generally preferred. This removes the
powdery texture found in glutinous rice that has been dried first and milled as flour.
Glutinous rice cooked in coconut or banana leaf wrappers are steamed to produce suman, of
which there are many varieties depending on the region. Some of the common toppings
are bukayo, grated mature coconut cooked in sugar; coconut jam; and freshly grated coconut.
Some regions eat suman as a snack with ripe mangoes or bananas. In suman sa lihiya (lye), the
rice grains are treated with a solution of lye and dried. The grains are put into a banana leaf cone
or coconut leaf wrapper and steamed. The rice may be mixed with sugar, coconut milk, or other
grains such as millet. Malagkit is also used in puto, or steamed rice cakes, of which numerous
variations exist.
Bibingka is a general term for sweet rice cake, which is mainly glutinous rice cooked with coconut
milk. Bibingka is often associated with the Philippine Christmas season. Another common
Philippine Christmas tradition includes puto bumbong, a suman-like sweet dish steamed in
special containers with bamboo tubes, and served with butter, grated coconuts, sugar, and
sometimes toasted sesame seeds. Puto bumbong traditionally uses a special heirloom variety of
glutinous rice called pirurutong, which has a naturally purple colour.
Another traditional Filipino sweet snack similar to Japanese mochi is called palitao.
Glutinous rice is also used in gruel-like dishes such as champorado, which is cooked with cocoa
powder and sweetened. Milk is usually added, and tuyo is served with it as a
counterpoint. Lugaw, goto, and arroz caldo, are all variants of rice porridge dishes, featuring
glutinous rice mixed with regular rice.
Bilo-bilo or binignit uses glutinous rice. It is a sweet, thick soup made of coconut milk, jackfruit,
sweet potatoes, plantain, sago pearls, and the bilo, or galapong shaped into balls.
Indonesian
Glutinous rice is known as beras ketan or simply ketan in Java and most of Indonesia,
and pulut in Sumatra. It is widely used as an ingredient for a wide variety of sweet, savoury or
fermented snacks. Glutinous rice is used as either hulled grains or milled into flour. It is usually
mixed with santan, meaning coconut milk in Indonesian, along with a bit of salt to add some taste.
Glutinous rice is rarely eaten as staple. One example is lemang, which is glutinous rice and
coconut milk cooked in bamboo stem lined by banana leaves. Glutinous rice is also sometimes
used in a mix with normal rice in rice dishes such as nasi tumpeng or nasi tim. It is widely used
during the Lebaran seasons as traditional food. It is also used in the production of alcoholic
beverages such as tuak and brem bali.

Non-food uses
According to legend, glutinous rice was used to make the mortar in the construction of the Great
Wall of China. Chemical tests have confirmed that this is true for the city
walls of Xi'an.[23] In Assam also, this rice was used for building palaces during Ahom rule.
Glutinous rice starch is often used as a vegetarian glue or adhesive.