The market · Grains and flours · Southeast Asia
Jasmine rice
Thai long-grain rice that cooks soft and slightly clinging, with a scent often likened to pandan.
fragrant · floral · soft
What to do with it
SundaneseNasi timbelRice rolled hot in banana leaf, served with fried chicken, tofu, tempeh, salted fish, raw vegetables and sambal.No one here has made it yetMinahasanTinutuanA thick rice porridge full of pumpkin, sweet potato, cassava, corn and greens, with no meat, eaten with smoked fish and dabu-dabu.No one here has made it yet
ThaiKhao man gaiPoached chicken on rice cooked in the chicken's fat and stock, with a sharp sauce of fermented soybean, ginger, garlic and chilli.No one here has made it yetMalaysianNasi lemakRice cooked in coconut milk and pandan, with sambal, crisp anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and egg.No one here has made it yetMalaysianNasi kerabuRice dyed blue with butterfly pea flowers, eaten with finely shredded herbs, kerisik, fish or chicken, budu and sambal.No one here has made it yet
CantoneseCongeeRice simmered in plenty of water until the grains break down into a smooth, silky porridge, with something savoury stirred in.No one here has made it yetTeochewTeochew porridgeRice cooked in plenty of water only until the grains are soft but whole, eaten with a spread of small salty dishes.No one here has made it yet
ThaiKhao man gaiPoached chicken on rice cooked in the chicken's fat and stock, with a sharp sauce of fermented soybean, ginger, garlic and chilli.No one here has made it yetMalaysianNasi lemakRice cooked in coconut milk and pandan, with sambal, crisp anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and egg.No one here has made it yetMalaysianNasi kerabuRice dyed blue with butterfly pea flowers, eaten with finely shredded herbs, kerisik, fish or chicken, budu and sambal.No one here has made it yetCantoneseCongeeRice simmered in plenty of water until the grains break down into a smooth, silky porridge, with something savoury stirred in.No one here has made it yetTeochewTeochew porridgeRice cooked in plenty of water only until the grains are soft but whole, eaten with a spread of small salty dishes.No one here has made it yetKinds
- Thai Hom Mali
- The benchmark, grown mostly in the north-east of Thailand.
- New crop
- From the latest harvest — softer and more fragrant; use a little less water.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Southeast Asian grocers, in 5kg or 10kg bags — cheaper, and usually fresher, than small supermarket packs.
- Worth knowing
- Rinse once or twice, cook by absorption, then leave it covered off the heat for ten minutes before fluffing.
Kitchens that keep it in
ThailandThaiA cooking of balance, tasted and adjusted at every step: sour, sweet, salty and hot in the same mouthful, sharpened with herbs.11 classicsVietnamVietnameseClear broths, fish sauce and a plate of fresh herbs: a cooking of contrasts — hot and cool, soft and crisp — finished by each person at the table.11 classics