Glutinous Rice (Sticky Rice)

Glutinous rice (sticky rice) is a type of rice most commonly used in Asian cuisines and has a bit more chewiness when steamed than the average long-grain rice.

How to Use It

It can also be deep fried (after it has been steamed) and made into a crispy rice salad, or steamed in little parcels, stuffed with savory or sweet fillings, and wrapped in lotus or banana leaves.

Glutinous rice is a very versatile type of rice and is most often used in both savory and sweet recipes like the famous Thai Coconut Mango Sticky Rice.

You can also use this type of rice in rice stir fries like Chinese sticky rice dish (lo mai fan) which is made with sticky rice that is stir-fried with peanuts, Chinese sausage (lap cheung), and egg.

In Thai cuisine, sticky rice can is commonly steamed and eaten as a side with a main meal. It is eaten by hand, by rolling them into little balls and dipped into sauces.

Although most packaging will tell you to boil it in a pot over the stove, don't do it!! Boiling sticky rice will create a very mushy textured rice and you won't get the chewiness that steaming the rice will give you.

Whenever you make sticky rice, the goal is to try to retain the chewiness. You want to use enough water to try to retain each individual grain but not use too much water that it would create mushy textured rice.

You always need to pre-soak sticky rice for a minimum of 4 hours (or overnight) before steaming it.

If you don't have fancy steaming contraptions, Leela Punyaratabandhu from Food52 has an awesome guide on alternative ways to steam it on their 'The Best Way to Make Thai Sticky Rice (No Fancy Basket Required)' article. We like the colander method!

Where to Buy Glutinous Rice

You can typically find these at Asian supermarkets but they have been growing in popularity and they have also been spotted at local grocery stores as well as specialty grocery stores. You can also find sticky rice online on Amazon as well if you cannot find it locally.

Glutinous rice is most commonly found in long-grain and short-grain forms. It is also known as sticky rice and sweet rice, even though it is not sweet.

The short-grain variation looks very similar to sushi rice to the naked eye so be careful not to buy sushi rice as it does not have the same consistency and texture.

Both short-grain and long-grain sticky rice can be used interchangeably, but I find the short-grain version, is much chewier.

How to Store It

All rice should be contained in a well-sealed container in a cool dry area away from moisture.

Recipes That Use Glutinous Rice

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