Jasmine Rice

Jasmine is a long grain rice from Thailand that cooks tender and clings together lightly, so it is easy to eat with chopsticks and soaks up coconut based sauces. Thai hom mali is the name used for the premium grade. Broken jasmine rice is made of grains that snapped in milling, and it cooks down beautifully into rice porridge, jook and the rice for Vietnamese com tam.

Jasmine and basmati are often confused, but they behave differently. Basmati stays dry and separate and suits biryani; jasmine is moister and softer and suits Thai, Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese meals, as well as a quick Sri Lankan style fried rice. Whole grain jasmine is for the table, while broken jasmine is the thrifty choice for porridge and for kitchens that cook rice in quantity.

Jasmine needs less water than basmati rice and no soaking: rinse once or twice, then use about one and a quarter cups of water per cup of rice and cook covered on the lowest heat. For fried rice, cook it a day ahead and chill it uncovered so the grains dry out. More long grain rice sits under basmati and long grain rice, including easy cook rice.