Is it right or wrong to wash rice before cooking?
Washing rice is a very common task, but conflicting opinions make many people wonder whether they are doing it right or wrong.
Many people do not wash rice before cooking because it loses nutrients, but some people have to wash it until the water is clear before cooking. So is washing rice good for health?
1. Benefits of washing rice
According to many experts, this practice brings some benefits because washing rice makes the rice more delicious, fluffier and helps remove pollutants and impurities left in the rice.
Although rinsing rice is not a necessary prerequisite for preparing this common dish, it is done for food safety reasons.
Additionally, “Rinsing rice before cooking removes the starch, which results in a softer texture when cooked,” says Kaitlin Sass, food scientist and senior director of research and development at rice company Lundberg Family Farms. That means that with less starch in place, the grains are less likely to stick together, resulting in less clumping and therefore fluffier rice.
Additionally, rinsing rice helps remove unwanted materials like dirt or small particles. It can even help remove some microplastics that may be present in rice due to contamination from rice packaging. A 2021 study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials found that rinsing rice before cooking reduced plastic pollution by 20–40%.
A 2023 review noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported inorganic arsenic concentrations typically average about 92 parts per billion (ppb) for white rice; 154 ppb for brown rice. The FDA does not have guidelines for arsenic in rice in general but sets a level of 100 ppb for infant rice cereal.
Climate change is also a growing concern – researchers have found that warmer temperatures can lead to higher arsenic concentrations in rice.
There is research showing that rinsing rice is a home remedy to reduce the toxicity of white rice. According to the study by authors Menon M, Dong W, Chen X, Hufton J, Rhodes EJ, improved rice cooking method to remove maximum arsenic while preserving nutritional components published in the Journal of Environmental Total Science in 2021: To remove arsenic from brown rice or white rice, try cooking or steaming - put the rice in boiling water for 5 minutes before pouring off the water and then cook the rice as usual.
Initial FDA research shows that rinsing rice can remove up to 60% of arsenic, with a 6:1 water-to-rice ratio during rinsing providing the best results.
2. Limitations when washing rice
Washing or soaking rice also removes some of the beneficial fiber and nutrients. So, although washing rice improves the texture of the rice and removes unwanted impurities, it is not advisable to soak the rice for too long to avoid losing some of the nutrients in the rice. Washing rice also removes beneficial fiber called resistant starch, which helps improve intestinal health and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Published studies, including one by the FDA, show that cooking rice in the same way as pasta can reduce inorganic arsenic levels by 40 to 60 percent, depending on the type of rice. However, cooking rice in 6 to 10 parts water to 1 part rice, then draining off the excess water, also reduces the nutritional value of enriched parboiled and polished rice. Specifically, cooking in excess water reduces the levels of folate, iron, niacin, and thiamine—nutrients added to polished (white) and parboiled rice as part of the enrichment process—by 50 to 70 percent.
If you're concerned about getting enough of these nutrients in your diet, don't over-rinse your rice.
3. Popular ways to wash rice
No matter what type of rice your family is eating, you should refer to the following rice washing method:
Rinse the rice gently for 10 seconds with clean water then drain the cloudy water. Do not scrub the rice too hard or too thoroughly. Remove any visible debris or discolored grains before cooking.
For new rice:You should only wash rice a maximum of 2 times. While washing, be gentle and pour out the rice water. Do not wash or soak rice in water for too long because the rice will lose its necessary nutrients. Do not squeeze or rub the rice because it can easily break the rice grains and the rice will not be delicious.
For old rice:Due to long storage, rice grains may oxidize, creating a layer of bran around the rice grains or sometimes have a slightly musty smell. Add a little salt and wash like new rice. However, you should only wash 3 times to remove oxidized impurities. Wash gently to avoid breaking the rice grains. Be careful to distinguish old rice from moldy rice. Moldy rice produces aspergillus fungus containing aflatoxin. This toxin can also cause liver failure, even liver cancer if moldy rice is used for a long time.