Everyone knows that vegetables should be stir-fried over high heat quickly to preserve vitamins, and that soup should not be cooked for more than an hour and a half to avoid nutrient loss.
Similarly, choosing the right method to cook rice can also help you retain the "delicate" Vitamin B1 and many other nutrients in the rice.
People usually cook rice by boiling or steaming, and steamed rice can be further divided into bowl-steamed rice and捞蒸饭 (lāo zhēng fàn - rice steamed after being briefly boiled). So, which method better preserves vitamins? Boiling rice involves placing the rice in clear water, first bringing it to a boil over high heat, then simmering it until tender. At this point, the water has a dissolving effect, so the rice water contains a considerable amount of water-soluble substances, such as Vitamin B1, Vitamin C, and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. However, because the cooking time is long, as the water temperature rises and water evaporates, the Vitamin B1 dissolved in the water partially escapes, leading to a loss of nutrients in the rice.
Steamed rice, on the other hand, provides a double insurance for nutrients. Using a covered bowl to steam the rice ensures that the steam in the pot only "circulates" around the bowl and cannot carry away the nutrients from the rice inside—that's the first layer of protection. Alternatively, you can boil the rice until it's half-cooked, then scoop it out and steam it separately, and drink the rice water on its own. This way, the rice water is not heated for long, so more nutrients are preserved—that's the second layer of protection. But if you discard the rice water (捞饭 - lāo fàn), it's a huge waste.
In addition, plain white rice can be bland, so we might as well add some "variety" to it to create rice with special flavors. For example, the fragrant green tea rice is not only excellent in color, aroma, and taste, but also has effects such as cutting grease, freshening the breath, aiding digestion, and preventing diseases. Adding a few chopped hawthorns gives the rice a fresh flavor and helps prevent the destruction of nutrients. Adding a little vinegar can make the rice easier to store and prevent it from spoiling, and it also makes the rice aroma stronger. For half-cooked夹生饭 (jiā shēng fàn - undercooked rice), you can add a few drops of white liquor, then steam it over low heat for a while before it's ready to eat. If you add peas, carrots, and corn kernels, the rice becomes colorful and appetizing, and also provides vitamins and antioxidants.