4 unique and unusual rice dishes from around the world.

The custom of eating rice is not unique to Asian countries but is prevalent worldwide. Countries with a tradition of eating wheat also have very unique rice dishes, reflecting their national identity. The four rice dishes introduced below are full of flavors, from salty, sweet, and spicy, for a "full" new year.

Sweet rice is used as… dessert.

In many countries around the world, rice is served as a dessert. This sweet rice pudding is very popular in Western countries as well as some other regions.

Each country has its own name for this dish, but the common point is that the rice is cooked with fresh milk, fresh cream, and sugar until soft. Then, the cook adds butter, vanilla, and a few other ingredients.

In France, sweet rice is called Riz au lait, and the French add a generous amount of butter, milk, fresh cream, and vanilla to the rice. This sweet rice dish is considered excessively rich and sweet. This is understandable, as traditional French cuisine favors creamy and rich dishes.

In Germany, they mainly cook sweet rice with milk and then add pickled cherries to eat with it. They call it Milchreis - a dish that appears at most important festivals and celebrations in the country.

In Denmark, they cook sweet rice – Ris a la mande – for major holidays, especially at the end of the year, and find ways to hide almonds in some of the rice dishes. Danes believe that if someone eats a plate of rice with almonds at the beginning of the new year, they will have incredibly good luck all year.

In Spain, a land of oranges and lemons, people often prefer to cook sweet rice with these vitamin C-rich fruits. Cambodia might cook it with bananas, while Thailand uses coconut milk and serves it with mangoes. In cold England, people prefer more elaborate sweet rice dishes served with stewed pears in wine, apples, and more. Visiting the Middle East, you'll certainly find characteristic spices like star anise and cinnamon in their traditional sweet rice dishes.

Fragrant Italian Risotto

The famous risotto is a more familiar dish to the locals than pizza or pasta.

Risotto is a dish made by cooking rice directly with broth and raw ingredients in a pan/pot until cooked through. Risotto has a distinctive aroma from Western herbs like thyme, oregano (a characteristic Italian spice), rosemary, and a sweet flavor from meat, fish, and fresh vegetables. Cooking Risotto is complex because you have to adjust the heat so the rice cooks slowly. You always need to stir gently and add water continuously, rather than adding too much water at the beginning.

The two most common styles of risotto are seafood risotto and meat and vegetable risotto. The broth is simmered beforehand and then cooled. The rice is sautéed in butter until fragrant before the broth is added, followed by the accompanying ingredients, and then gently stir-fried over medium heat.

Spanish "lazy" paella

The Spanish mixed rice dish has a very distinctive name: paella (which means "large pan" in Spanish). It's jokingly called "lazy rice" because the cook puts all the ingredients in at once and stirs them over high heat. Unlike risotto, paella is quick, nutritious, and more flavorful.

Paella, as its name suggests, is cooked in a large pan. Unlike risotto, which uses long-grain rice, paella is made with short-grain rice such as bomba or senia. The rice is tossed with saffron, turmeric, and calendula to create a beautiful yellow color, then cooked with chicken broth and olives. Similar to risotto, the two most popular styles of paella are seafood and meat with vegetables.

A slight difference in paella is that they use more beans, chicken, duck, and shellfish than ingredients like beef, pork, and shellfish, and the seafood paella is always served with orange or lime.

Exquisite Takikomi Gohan rice from Japan

Another rice dish, also cooked in a style that incorporates many ingredients cooked simultaneously with raw rice grains, is considered a daily staple for many people in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Takikomi Gohan is a quick, simple, and convenient yet nutritious rice dish. The rice is washed and then water is added normally, followed by the addition of ingredients like chicken, fish, and mushrooms. If cooking with chicken, water or chicken broth is used. For fish or seafood, dashi broth (a type of Japanese broth) is preferred.

The most convenient aspect, and what gives Takikomi Gohan a modern feel, is that the dish is cooked in a rice cooker; you simply put all the ingredients in and press a button. This is unlike the three dishes above, which require manual cooking and monitoring of the heat in a pot or pan.

Many people who learn about Japan will be impressed by its meticulous, refined, and elaborate cuisine, considered among the best in the world. However, in their daily lives, Japanese people also choose quick and convenient meals that save time. Perhaps the urban vibrancy and fast pace of life of a developed country are most fully expressed through this Takikomi Gohan rice dish.

Setting aside the unique rice dishes around the world, Travellive observes that although they share the same rice-eating habits as Vietnam, the aforementioned rice dishes are all distinct and stand as independent dishes, not simply side dishes. This demonstrates the ingenious variations and clear cultural differences between countries when using the same ingredient.

Travellive wishes our readers a prosperous and warm New Year.

Ha Chuu