A rice cooker is a very essential kitchen appliance for Hong Hong households. I'd actually never known anyone who didn't have a rice cooker at home if they would ever cook at home.
My mom has always cooked rice in a rice cooker as long as I can remember, but she told me her family used to cook rice in a pot over a wood fire.
"People needed to squat in front of the stove while fanning the fire. They needed to be very careful not to let the rice burn. But of course, it happened sometimes," Mom laughed.
Mom grew up in China with my grandparents who I've never met. They were farmers. Like many others, they worked a small plot of land from the government to grow rice, sugarcane, and many sorts of vegetables. After their harvest, they needed to pay a certain portion of rice back to the government as the rent. "Farming was not a choice. The government asked you to do it, then you had to do it!" she said.
"We didn't get white rice to eat often. It was fancy, a luxury," She continued. She explained that the crops often did not grow as well as they expected and they could barely meet their quota.
"We were not starving like many unlucky people in the street, but yes, we never felt full. To fill our stomach without eating too much rice, we added sweet potato into the rice and make congee. It was cheap and filling. Perhaps I ate sweet potato too much back then and now I rarely want it." Mom said with a light smile.
"So you never had normal white rice until you came to Hong Kong?" I asked.
"I did. Your grandma would cook white rice during Chinese New Year. Everyone would have a small bowl. We would just hold the bowl in our hands, admiring the fluffy white rice and not really wanting to eat it. When we ate it, we really savoured every grain of it," Mom said.
"Wow, it's not easy," I said, feeling myself very lucky.
"At home, your grandma and your aunt were responsible for cooking, and they didn't like me to hover around the kitchen while they worked so they would ask me to go outside to play with the neighbours. I didn't need to cook until I met your dad and had you three," Mom continued.
"So you didn't learn how to cook rice the traditional way?" I asked.
"No. Honestly who will still use a pot to cook rice nowadays? The rice cooker is clean and convenient, and you can forget about it after pressing the start button," Mom said, and started rinsing her rice for the dinner.
For years, I thought my mom was right about the evolution of the rice cooking method. It wasn't until I went on a camping trip with my husband and my son years later, that I couldn't bring my rice cooker. It was then that I discovered cooking rice in a pot is a true art.
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| We were making steamed rice for the sushi at the camp. Funny to see we didn't even have a table and we needed to prepare food on a cooler. |
I know many Canadian campers enjoy bringing hotdogs, burgers, or steaks on their camping trips. Because these foods are convenient to cook and store. But for Hongkongers, camping means a pot of instant noodles, a pot of rice with lap cheong (Chinese sausage) or even sushi. My husband and I didn't want to eat any hot soup during the hot days, so we decided to make sushi. Sushi needs rice, so I must cook the rice over the flame.
After reading many recipes, I came to the conclusion that a cup of rice to two and a half cups of water was the best recipe. However, the rice was mushy on the outside and still hard in the core. We had very unusual sushi for the camping supper that night.
The second time I tried to cook rice in a pot was learning to make pilaf with an Italian chef at culinary school. I followed all the instructions carefully and was told that the pilaf looked fluffy and tasted great by my classmates. But the chef disapproved of it. "You Chinese only know how to cook rice in a rice cooker. That's why your rice tastes awful, " he said. Of course, I disagree with his generalization about Chinese and his manner toward me. But this incident brought up the spark inside me that I wanted to prove him wrong.
A few weeks ago, my rice cooker broke down. In that moment, not knowing what to do, I recalled a traditional Chinese recipe. It is different than the many English versions of rice making and I found it is easier to work with.
Also, keep practicing is one of the keys. I remember for the first few days, my husband and my son seriously complained about the rice. "They are just not consistent. Some part is mushy, and some part is hard. How about I just get a new rice cooker? Just take it easy." My husband even tried to lure me away from my rice experiments. I insisted on using the pot. I really wanted to master this traditional skill.
After a full week of practice, I finally learned the key to making fluffy rice. Now I can proudly say to my husband that we don't need a new rice cooker.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my lengthy story. I hope you find this recipe useful.
Basic Steamed Rice
1. Add the desired amount of rice in a pot. The pot should be deep enough that the water will not spill easily.
2. Rinse the rice a few times with a few changes of water until the water is clear. The water won't be totally clear, but it should be clear enough to see through to the rice.
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I was watering the radishes with the rinsed water.The first two changes of rinse water is actually packed with nutrition. You can pour it over plants as extra plant food.
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3. Stand a finger in the middle of the pot and fill the pot with water. The level of the water should be double the level of the rice.
4. Bring the rice to a boil over high heat, uncovered, until the liquid is nearly absorbed; about 4-5 minutes. Stir it once during the process gently to prevent it from sticking.
5. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Continuously cook the rice for exactly 8 minutes.
6. Remove the rice from the heat and leave it for about 5-10 minutes without opening the lid. The remaining heat and steam will help the rice prevent from sticking the bottom of the pot. Gently fluff the rice and the rice is ready.
You may find some crispy rice on the bottom (when you didn;t keep it aside for extra 5-10 minutes after it is done). Don't waste it! That crisp and hard rice is actually a wonderful ingredient for making a sweet rice tea that is commonly served in Korean restaurants.
Sweet Rice Tea
Ingredients:
Crispy cooked rice in the pot
1.5 cups of water
Sugar to taste
How to make:
1. Burn the rice without water over high heat until the rice turns lightly brown. Don't over do it or the tea will be too bitter and it's unhealthy for consumption.
2. Add 1-2 cups of water to the pot. Scrub the rice vigorously with a spoon. Let the tea boil for another 30 seconds and then remove it from the heat. Season the tea with sugar to taste.
