Short and Sweet

Sweet rice (also known sticky rice or glutinous rice) is a type of Asian rice that is particularly sticky when cooked. Gluten-free, this rice is known as “glutinous” rice because it is glue-like or sticky. For this reason, it is commonly eaten with one’s hands: try forming it into small balls and dipping it. Delicious.

Sweet rice grains are short and plump with a chalky, white kernel. When comparing Thai sticky rice and Japanese sticky rice, you’ll see quite a difference between the grains. Thai sticky rice is whiter and less opaque than Japanese rice. Thai sweet rice grains are also slightly longer than their Japanese comparison. In the northern and northeastern regions, Thai people eat sweet rice in place of long grain rice. Included in this category is sweet rice flour, which is made out of short grain rice.