The habit of eating rice is not only found in Asian countries but also around the world. Countries with a tradition of eating wheat also have very unique rice dishes, imbued with national identity. The four rice dishes introduced below are all full of flavors from salty, sweet, spicy… for a “full” new year.
Sweet rice for dessert
In many countries around the world, rice is eaten 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 rice dish, but the main thing is that the rice is cooked with fresh milk, fresh cream, and sugar until soft. Then, the cook will add butter, vanilla, and a few other ingredients.
French rice pudding is cooked soft with lots of milk and cream.
In France, sweet rice is called Riz au lait and the French add a lot of butter, milk, cream, and vanilla to the rice. Sweet rice here is considered too rich and sweet. This is understandable because traditional cuisine favors foods with a lot of cream.
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 in most important festivals of the people here.
Germans love rice pudding with cherries.
As for Denmark, they cook sweet rice - Ris a la mande on big holidays, especially at the end of the year and try to hide almonds in some of the rice dishes. The Danish people believe that if at the beginning of the new year, whoever eats a rice dish with almonds, their whole year will be extremely lucky.
Rice pudding with almonds hidden inside is called Ris a la mande.
In Spain, the land of oranges and lemons, people often prefer to cook sweet rice with these fruits rich in Vitamin C. Or Cambodia will cook with bananas, while Thailand will cook with coconut milk, served with mango. In the cold England, people prefer more sophisticated sweet rice dishes when served with pears stewed in wine, apples, etc. Visiting Middle Eastern countries, it is certain that typical spices such as star anise and cinnamon are indispensable in traditional sweet rice dishes.
Fragrant Italian Risotto
The famous Risotto rice dish is more familiar than pizza or pasta to the people here.
Simple risotto with chicken stock.
Risotto is cooked directly from rice with broth, raw ingredients in a pan/pot until cooked. Risotto has a characteristic aroma from Western herbs such as thyme, oregano (a typical spice in Italy), rosemary and the sweetness from meat, fish, fresh vegetables... Cooking Risotto is complicated in that people have to adjust the heat so that the rice grains cook slowly. You will always have to stir, stir gently and add water continuously, not adding too much water from the beginning.
Another Risotto dish with more flavor.
The two most familiar styles of Risotto are Seafood Risotto and Meat and Vegetable Risotto. The broth is simmered first and then cooled, the rice is sautéed in butter until fragrant, then the broth is added, then the other ingredients are added and gently sautéed over medium heat.
Spain's "Lazy" Paella
The Spanish fried rice dish has a very special name: paella (in Spanish, it means “big pan”). This is a rice dish jokingly called “lazy rice” because the cook will put all the ingredients in at the same time and stir over high heat. Not as sophisticated as Risotto, Paella cooking style is quicker, more nutritious and richer in flavor.
A pan of paella rice has many ingredients and is rich in nutrients.
Paella is cooked in a large pan, as its name suggests. Unlike Risotto, which uses long-grain rice, Paella is cooked from round rice varieties such as bomba, senia, etc. The rice is mixed with saffron, turmeric, and calendula to create a beautiful yellow color, then chicken stock and olives are added to cook. Like Risotto, the two most popular styles of Paella are seafood and meat with vegetables.
The Spanish love to eat seafood paella with lemon to... relieve the feeling of fullness.
A slight difference of Paella rice dish is that they use beans, chicken, duck plus shellfish more than ingredients like beef, pork, shellfish and the seafood rice will always be served with oranges and lemons.
Exquisite Takikomi Gohan rice from Japan
Another rice dish that is also cooked in the style of adding many ingredients at the same time with raw rice grains is considered a daily dish for many people in the land of the rising sun.
Takikomi Gohan rice dish has a quick, simple, convenient style but still full of nutrients. The rice will be washed and then added with normal water, then ingredients such as chicken, fish, mushrooms, etc. will be added at the same time. If cooking rice with chicken, the cook will add filtered water or chicken broth. As for fish or seafood, dashi broth (a type of Japanese broth) will be preferred.
Takikomi Gohan cooks very quickly.
The most convenient thing and what makes Takikomi Gohan modern is that the dish is cooked in a rice cooker, you just need to put everything in the pot and press the button. Unlike the three dishes above, you have to cook yourself, watch the fire in a pot or pan.
Many people who learn about Japan will be impressed with the meticulous, sophisticated, and elaborate cuisine of the world. But in daily life, Japanese people only choose the fastest and most time-saving dishes. Perhaps, the urban color and the hustle and bustle of a developed country are most fully expressed through this Takikomi Gohan rice dish.
Putting aside the unique rice dishes in the world, Travellive realizes that although they have the same eating habits as our country, the above rice dishes are very different and are independent dishes, not simply dishes used to eat with food. Only then can we know the skillful transformation and distinct cultural differences between countries in the world when exposed to the same ingredients.
Travellive wishes all readers a prosperous and warm new year.
