Surprising Hack for Perfect Rice: Why You Need to Add Ice Cubes to Your Rice

Ice in rice?!
A way to make rice more delicious
Preventing the breakdown of the sweetness of the rice grains

Adding a couple of ice cubes when cooking rice is another way to improve its taste significantly.

It may sound strange initially, but if you put just two pieces of ice cubes when cooking rice, you can experience an enhanced flavor.

This technique is one of the secrets often used by the Japanese.

The process is simple. After rinsing the rice and placing it in the pot, add the appropriate amount of water and 2-3 ice cubes. Close the lid and let it sit for 15 minutes without turning on the rice cooker. After this time, cook the rice as usual.

After 15 minutes, you can cook the rice as usual. The science behind this method is fascinating. Adding ice to the rice cooker slows down the rice’s water absorption.

This increases the flexibility of the rice and makes it richer in amino acids. The enzyme prevents the breakdown of the sweetness of the rice grains, resulting in a richer flavor.

This technique is particularly effective for microwaving frozen rice.

If you put frozen rice directly into the microwave to thaw, the rice becomes dry and crumbly, reducing its texture and taste.

However, by adding 2-3 ice cubes to the frozen rice, covering it, and rotating it in the microwave, the ice slowly melts and penetrates the rice grains, making it as soft and moist as freshly made rice.

While you might consider sprinkling water to thaw rice, it’s not as effective as using ice, as water cannot distribute moisture as evenly.