Hawaiian Sticky / Steamed Rice

[BaconFat]

Aloha,

We just returned from spending two incredible weeks on Maui. We ate out at a bunch of different restaurants and it seemed the plate lunches (at several different places) had steamed rice that tasted kind of sweet and was a different kind of sticky compared to the steamed white rice we cook and eat in Seattle.

Is the rice cooked with something besides water? Coconut milk, maybe? Is it a different kind of rice than what we use stateside?

Maybe it was just being on vacation and everything tasted, looked and smelled better.

Thanks

[SuzySushi]

Didn't see this on the Hawaii board... but if it's plate lunch you were having, it almost certainly wasn't "sticky rice" in the glutinous rice sense. The standard rice in Hawaii is medium-grain Calrose variety. Nothing is added to it in cooking except water.

If you're cooking the rice in a saucepan, place the rice in the pan and add enough water to cover to about 1" above the rice (traditional way is to measure using your knuckle). Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover and simmer about 17 minutes. (If you're using a rice cooker, follow its directions.)

[sanrensho]

The standard rice in Hawaii is medium-grain Calrose variety. Nothing is added to it in cooking except water.

Probably Kokuho Rose specifically (or Nishiki)?

[JumblyJu]

Aloha,

We just returned from spending two incredible weeks on Maui.  We ate out at a bunch of different restaurants and it seemed the plate lunches (at several different places) had steamed rice that tasted kind of sweet and was a different kind of sticky compared to the steamed white rice we cook and eat in Seattle.

Is the rice cooked with something besides water?  Coconut milk, maybe?  Is it a different kind of rice than what we use stateside?

Maybe it was just being on vacation and everything tasted, looked and smelled better.

Thanks

←

hi BaconFat, don't know what you mean by the rice being sweet, but here are my thoughts on "local" rice.

- plate lunch joints probably cook their rice in 20+ cup rice cookers

- they probably use whatever Costco sells, most likely a california grown calrose. and because they go through a lot of it, it's probably a fresh batch.

- they use tap water to cook the rice. i'm not sure how maui gets their water as each island's water system is a little different.

- maybe they add more water than usual?

- (they probably don't do this but I like it) try adding mochi rice to your regular rice. i find it makes it a little more sticky and sweet. i'm not sure of the proportions tho, maybe 2c regular to 1c mochi?

- i don't think they add coconut milk, unless it was a Thai place?

Good luck!