Steaming and cooking rice both involve washing the rice, adding cold water, and then bringing it to a boil. This is a common practice, but in fact, the correct method should be to boil the water first and then use the boiling water to cook the rice. So, what are the benefits of doing it this way?
Cooking rice with boiling water can shorten the steaming and cooking time and protect the vitamins in the rice. Since starch granules are not soluble in cold water, they only absorb water, expand, and break down into a paste when the water temperature is above 60°C.
Rice contains a large amount of starch. When cooking rice with boiling water, the temperature is about 100°C (the boiling point of water). This temperature allows the rice to cook quickly, shortening the cooking time and preventing the vitamins in the rice from being destroyed by prolonged high-temperature heating.
Boiling the water allows the chlorine in it to evaporate, thus avoiding the destruction of Vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is the most important nutrient in rice. Its main function is to regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body. A deficiency of it can affect the nervous system, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, limb weakness, muscle aches, beriberi, edema, arrhythmia, and intractable insomnia.
The tap water we usually use is disinfected with chlorine. If you use this water directly to cook rice, the chlorine in the water will largely destroy the Vitamin B1 in the rice. When you use boiled water to cook rice, most of the chlorine has evaporated with the water vapor, thus greatly reducing the loss of Vitamin B1 and other B vitamins.
China has long believed in the principle that "the five grains are the source of nourishment." Modern nutritional science also confirms that only by consuming enough complex carbohydrates can long-term health be maintained. For Chinese people, rice is one of the main sources of complex carbohydrates. It is not only supposed to provide nutrition for the body but also to contribute to preventing diseases and maintaining health...
Many surveys both at home and abroad have found that the total amount of grain consumed is inversely proportional to the risk of chronic diseases. However, a survey in Hong Kong found that the amount of white rice consumed is positively correlated with the risk of diabetes. Some surveys in the United States have found similar results. This shows that if you don't eat rice wisely, it might bring you trouble.
Points to note when washing rice
Rice contains vitamins and inorganic salts, both of which are particularly soluble in water. If you wash the rice for a long time—like five minutes—and scrub it so hard, all the nutrients on the surface of the rice will be lost! And the nutrients of rice are mainly on the surface. To put it simply, if you want to preserve the nutrients of rice, remember when washing it: do not use running water or hot water to wash the rice, do not scrub or stir the rice vigorously, do not soak the rice in water, and use as little water as possible when washing.
Then it's time to cook the rice. Don't be in a hurry, there's a proper way to cook it too: after washing the rice, you should put it in the pot immediately. If the rice is soaked for a long time, a nutrient called riboflavin in the rice will be lost in large quantities, and proteins and fats will also be lost to some extent. So you should put it in the pot and cook it right now.