Mistakes in choosing rice for cooking can be harmful to your health.

Recently, information about contaminated and low-quality rice from production to consumption has caused consumers to feel confused and worried.

White, fragrant rice with a brand name... deceives the senses.

Typically, consumers who don't observe carefully will always see white rice that is plump, fragrant, and expensive, leading them to believe they've bought truly delicious, aromatic rice. However, when cooked, the rice tastes bland and inferior to regular rice, and there's a serious risk to their health.

It is known that the "tactics" of some businesses mostly involve using "technology." Therefore, who can guarantee that the use of these chemicals will not harm the health of consumers?

According to another source from a rice trader, many large and small distributors are currently using flavorings to add artificial aromas to low-quality rice, transforming it into Thai rice, Bac Huong rice, Dien Bien rice, etc. By using chemicals to preserve rice and prevent insect infestation, bags of rice that have been stored for too long and have lost their natural aroma are "renovated" with artificial flavorings.

Besides harmful preservation methods, consumers also face the problem of rice of unknown origin. Currently, a relatively large amount of rice of unknown origin is circulating in the market. It is very easy for housewives to buy expired, low-quality, and unappetizing rice that has been "improved" with chemicals.

Furthermore, according to WHO regulations on safe levels of arsenic in rice, arsenic is present in the Earth's crust, commonly found in soil and water. This substance naturally contaminates plants through absorption from the soil and water. The amount of arsenic in plants increases gradually as they mature, especially rice plants. Each kilogram of rice sold internationally is only allowed to contain 0.2 milligrams of arsenic. If this limit is exceeded, prolonged exposure to arsenic can cause cancer and various skin infections.

Mistakes to avoid when cooking rice.

The news about chemically contaminated rice, rice of unknown origin, and dirty rice has already caused public concern, but even those who buy quality rice are making mistakes during cooking, inadvertently robbing the rice of its inherent nutrients.

Using rice that is too white.

Using white rice makes a bowl of white rice look appealing and attractive. However, it also means that the best nutrients of the rice grain are gone. You are only eating the starchy "core" of the rice.

Therefore, consuming too much starch from white rice significantly increases your risk of developing diabetes, edema, hypertension, and other health problems.

Rubbing the rice too thoroughly

If you rinse rice too thoroughly, for too long, and drain off all the cloudy water, that would also be a big mistake. Because the cloudy water (containing rice bran) that you drain off contains the source of vitamin B, carbohydrates, protein, lipids, minerals, etc., found in rice.

The best way to retain these nutrients is simply to put the rice in a pot, add water, and stir gently to remove impurities, husks, and any grit from the rice.

Cooking rice with cold water

Nine out of ten housewives use this method. But did you know that when using cold water to cook rice, the rice grains swell up, and the nutrients dissolve into the water? Furthermore, rice cooked with cold water is often not as tasty because the rice tends to be mushy due to the swelling.

Therefore, change the way you cook rice by using hot water to retain the nutrients in the rice, resulting in a more fragrant, soft, and delicious pot of rice.

Do not measure water and rice when cooking.

It's no coincidence that rice cooker manufacturers include a measuring cup with each rice cooker. The measuring cup is used to accurately measure the appropriate amount of rice and water for a delicious, fluffy pot of rice. However, most people pay little attention to it and measure rice and water by feel. Therefore, to have a fragrant, fluffy, and delicious pot of rice, we shouldn't skip this step.

Variations to make a delicious and appealing pot of rice.

- Cooking rice with tea water: The rice will not only be fragrant and have an unusual color, but it will also be beneficial for digestion. Here's how to do it: Soak 0.5-0.7g of tea leaves in 1kg of boiling water for 5-8 minutes, filter out the tea leaves through a fine cloth, pour the filtered tea water into the washed rice and cook as usual until the rice is done.

- Adding cooking oil to rice: When cooking rice, adding a few drops of oil or animal fat will not only make the rice fragrant, fluffy, and tender, but also prevent it from burning in the pot.

- Add vinegar to rice: When cooking rice in the summer, add 2-3 ml of vinegar or lemon juice to every 1.5 kg of rice. This will make the cooked rice whiter and less likely to spoil or turn sour.

According to Zing.vn