Preparation:
One of the chief obstacles of most beginning wok cooks is knowing how to make good edible rice. There isn't any real secret to it. A recipe developed for beginners is included. All one has to do is follow the recipe instructions EXACTLY. But first, some facts on rice will be discussed.
CHINESE RICE: There are many species of rice, about 1,000 of them. Approximately 50 of these types are cultivated in China. The properties of each of these varies as to growth, resistance to disease, adaptation to climate, soil conditions, etc. These factors all contribute to the quality of the harvested rice.
Most Chinese and other Orientals can readily distinguish the quality of rice by its texture and taste after it is cooked. There are three main grain types of rice, long, medium or oval, and short. The Chinese people generally use long grain rice while the Japanese people favor oval grain rice. Short grain rice is generally cooked by both peoples for special pastries or festive dishes.
Both long and oval grain rice are cooked in identical manners. The only difference is in knowing how much water is to be used in cooking the rice. This knowledge can only be obtained through experience and personal preference |
