what is pudding rice called

Rice pudding is usually made with long-grain rice, but we wondered if it could be improved by swapping in Arborio or sushi rice.

Rice pudding is usually made with long-grain rice, but we wondered if it could be improved by swapping in Arborio or sushi rice. Since these short-grain rices have a high proportion of amylopectin—the starch that makes risotto creamy and sushi rice cling—could they make a more luxurious, creamier rice pudding?

To find out, we compared stovetop rice pudding (served cold) made with long-grain rice, Arborio rice, and sushi rice. Some tasters objected to the softness and lack of “bite” in the sushi rice grains, while Arborio was panned for contributing a slight grittiness. Turns out this is due to a genetic “defect” in their cores called chalk that never softens completely. It’s what gives risotto a desirable al dente texture, but we found it unwelcome in pudding.

For pudding with a creamy texture boasting rice with a pleasant, mild chew, long-grain rice is still the best choice. That’s because it contains a good amount of a starch called amylose that retrogrades, or rearranges into crystalline structures, when the rice turns cold, giving it the chew sushi rice lacks without making it too firm.

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Rice pudding is usually made with long-grain rice, but we wondered if it could be improved by swapping in Arborio or sushi rice.

Rice pudding is usually made with long-grain rice, but we wondered if it could be improved by swapping in Arborio or sushi rice. Since these short-grain rices have a high proportion of amylopectin—the starch that makes risotto creamy and sushi rice cling—could they make a more luxurious, creamier rice pudding?

To find out, we compared stovetop rice pudding (served cold) made with long-grain rice, Arborio rice, and sushi rice. Some tasters objected to the softness and lack of “bite” in the sushi rice grains, while Arborio was panned for contributing a slight grittiness. Turns out this is due to a genetic “defect” in their cores called chalk that never softens completely. It’s what gives risotto a desirable al dente texture, but we found it unwelcome in pudding.

For pudding with a creamy texture boasting rice with a pleasant, mild chew, long-grain rice is still the best choice. That’s because it contains a good amount of a starch called amylose that retrogrades, or rearranges into crystalline structures, when the rice turns cold, giving it the chew sushi rice lacks without making it too firm.

My fellow food blogger (the sassy cook) and I have always wanted to do a taste test on rice pudding. It is one of our favourite desserts and since there are so many types of rice pudding available in the grocery store we figured this would be a good experiment to take on. We consulted a number of recipes and decided on a simple recipe for stove top rice pudding. However, we weren’t sure which type of rice to use to make rice pudding (basmati, jasmine, Arborio, parboiled, instant, etc) so we decided to test them all. We used the best one to make the rice pudding for our Rice pudding – homemade vs. store bought taste test.

Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, especially toward the end of cooking. The pudding is done when the rice and milk have made a thick porridge. Do not overcook.

Observations: The basmati rice pudding had a nice texture from the nice long grains of the rice but you could definitely taste the basmati fragrance. The Arborio rice pudding was creamy, chewy and thick. I almost found it to be too thick and chewy and it had a softer texture overall. The sushi/short grain rice pudding was nice and creamy but the flavour actually tasted more muted. It was almost as if the starchiness interfered with the sweetness and the flavour. The long grain regular rice pudding had the nice texture like the basmati rice pudding but with a more neutral flavour. I really liked that one from a texture and flavour standpoint. The jasmine rice pudding also had a nice texture. It was similar to long grain regular but it wasn’t as fragrant as I was expecting it to be. I could hardly taste the fragrance (but this might be due to the fact that jasmine rice is the rice that I eat the most often and I’m used to the taste). Both the long grain rice pudding and the jasmine rice puddings tasted very similar from a taste and texture standpoint and these were the ones I preferred overall.

Basmati and jasmine rice are both long grain rices. I figured they would both offer good structure and texture to the rice pudding but might be too fragrant. I thought the Arborio rice would produce a rice pudding that was thick and creamy but that the Japanese sushi/short grain rice might end up too mushy or gummy because of the stickiness that Japanese rice cooks up to. I had a feeling that the regular long grain might turn out to be the best one in that it would still provide texture but would not have the fragrance that Basmati and Jasmine rice have. We also tested parboiled and instant rice just for fun. My guess was that the parboiled and instant rice would have a strange processed, plasticky flavour based on how parboiled and instant rice taste in general and that they wouldn’t absorb the liquid that well.

¾ cup medium- or long-grain white rice 1 ½ cup water ¼ tsp salt 4 cups whole milk ½ cup sugar ½ tsp vanilla Combine rice, water and salt in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

How to Make Rice Pudding | The Basics | QVC

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