54. 猫牙米 (māo yá mǐ)
This is a bit strange. I came across it a few days ago and was intrigued, so I acquired the smallest acceptable amount (2.5 kilos) in order to test it.
It is a hybrid of Oryza sativa subsp. indica, the main Chinese rice. This particular and unusual hybrid is grown here in Hezhou, Guangxi. Google is silent on the subject apart from someone in Hunan having designed a bag for the stuff. I can’t claim this is a huge part of the local cuisine – yet. It has only recently been introduced.
Called 猫呀米 (māo yá mǐ), literally ‘cat tooth rice’, it is so named for its alleged longer than average grains’ supposed resemblance to Felix's dental equipment. Their advertising images certainly suggest a very long grain.
Advertising for Cat Tooth Rice (猫牙米)
They also provide a comparison chart for grain length. From L-R: Cat Tooth Rice, Thai Hom Mali, Unspecified 'Foreign Rice' and Domestic Rice.
For the rice cooker, they suggest a rice to water ratio of 1:1.3, which is a bit more water than I normally use, but I followed their advice in a spirit of experimentation.
Cooked Cat Tooth Rice (猫牙米)
Despite meticilulously following their instructions, the cooked rice is overdone – as I suspected it would be. Too much water. As to the grain, it is little or no longer than the Thai Hom Mali rice I usually use.
Cooked Cat Tooth Rice (猫牙米)
Bah humbug!
It’s OK rice, but nothing special. I see congee in my future.