Whenever I cook rice, which is about once a week, I combine 1/4 white rice, 1/4 brown rice, 1/4 wild rice and 1/4 red lentils, soak it all for at least 24 hours, and drain off the soaking water before cooking. I use a 50/50 mix of pasture-raised butter and unrefined organic coconut oil for the fat. Then for good measure, after cooking I add in some powdered turmeric, ginger, black pepper, salt and fresh-pressed garlic.
Sayer Ji’s methods are simple and novel. Thank you!
Alas, they don’t address the REAL problem of a daily rice diet.
Rice actively pulls heavy metals from the soil, and regular, heavy consumption can pose a long-term toxicity risk.
Because heavy metals are naturally occurring elements or industrial remnants in the earth, organic certification does not protect against them. Organic standards ban synthetic pesticides, but they cannot erase elements already present in the geology or history of the soil.
Which metals are pulled from soil?
Rice acts like a sponge for several toxic elements due to its unique physiology and flooded growing conditions. The primary elements of concern include:
Arsenic: The absolute highest risk factor. Rice fields are flooded with water, creating anaerobic (oxygen-poor) conditions that make inorganic arsenic highly water-soluble and easy for rice roots to absorb. Rice absorbs arsenic up to 10 times more efficiently than other grains.
Cadmium: The second most common contaminant. It is highly mobile in soil and transfers easily into the grain.
Lead & Mercury: Pulled in smaller but still measurable amounts from industrial pollution, legacy pesticides, or natural soil deposits.
Does daily rice diet cause oxicity?
For casual consumers, it rarely causes acute toxicity. However, for those who eat rice daily, recent data shows a legitimate long-term health risk.
An extensive food safety investigation by Consumer Reports tested 52 popular rice products and discovered measurable inorganic arsenic in 100% of the samples.
Alarmingly, 42% of the products contained enough inorganic arsenic that eating just one serving a day over a long period could significantly elevate the risk of skin and bladder cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
For infants, toddlers, and pregnant individuals, the risk is higher because their smaller body weights make them more vulnerable to neurodevelopmental issues and lowered IQ from heavy metal exposure.
Variables that change toxin levels
Grain Type
Brown Rice: The outer bran layer holds up to 80% more arsenic than white rice.
White Rice: The outer bran layer is polished away, removing a huge chunk of the metal.
Arborio & Instant: Tend to test higher for heavy metals and packaging chemicals.
Basmati & Jasmine: Naturally accumulate far less arsenic.
----------
3 Ways to Protect Yourself
The "Pasta Method" Cooking Technique
Do not let rice absorb all its cooking water. Instead, boil your rice in a large pot with extra water (a 1:6 or 1:10 ratio) for 5 minutes. Drain that water completely, add fresh water, and finish cooking. This flushes away up to 60% of the inorganic arsenic.
Diversify Your Grains
Rotate rice out for ancient grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth, barley, or buckwheat. These crops are not grown in flooded fields and do not bio-accumulate heavy metals the way rice does.
Source Wisely
When buying rice, actively look for white basmati from India or Pakistan, or white jasmine from Thailand. If buying American, choose white varieties specifically grown in California
------------
Does "dry-rice” growing solve the toxicity problem?
"Dry-rice" growing (often called aerobic rice cultivation or upland rice) significantly reduces arsenic levels, but it creates a serious trade-off by drastically increasing cadmium accumulation. [1, 2, 3, 4]
While it solves one toxic metal problem, it accidentally worsens another.
The Arsenic Drop vs. The Cadmium Spike
When rice is grown in unflooded, oxygen-rich "dry" soil rather than traditional flooded paddies, the chemical behavior of heavy metals changes drastically:
Arsenic Decreases by up to 90%: In dry, aerobic soil, arsenic binds tightly to iron oxides in the dirt. Because it is locked up chemically, the rice roots cannot easily absorb it. This yields a harvest with exceptionally low inorganic arsenic levels.
Cadmium Increases dramatically: This is the major catch. In flooded fields, the lack of oxygen causes sulfur to bind with cadmium, creating an insoluble compound that rice roots ignore. However, when the soil dries out and fills with oxygen, that bond breaks. The cadmium becomes highly water-soluble, and the rice plant aggressively pulls it into the grain.
Why is Cadmium a Concern?
While you successfully lower your cancer risk from arsenic, heavy consumption of dry-grown rice can swap that out for cadmium toxicity. Cadmium is a severe toxin that:
Targets the Kidneys: It accumulates in the renal cortex, potentially causing chronic kidney disease over time.
Weakens Bones: It interferes with calcium absorption, leading to bone density loss and fractures.
Stays in the Body: Cadmium has an incredibly long biological half-life, meaning your body takes decades to naturally eliminate it.
The Agricultural Solution: "Safe" Water Management
Because strictly flooded fields cause high arsenic, and strictly dry fields cause high cadmium, scientists and farmers use a middle-ground technique called Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD).
Instead of keeping fields continuously muddy or completely dry, farmers intentionally let the water drop a few inches below the soil surface before flooding it again. When timed perfectly, AWD minimizes arsenic absorption without triggering the massive spike in cadmium, making the final grain much safer for frequent consumption.
---------------
What are the major AWD brands in USA?
Because Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is heavily driven by carbon offset programs and water-conservation initiatives, the term "AWD" is rarely printed on grocery store packaging.
Instead, you have to look for specific major parent brands and eco-labels that explicitly fund and source from U.S. growers practicing AWD.
The largest corporate names and supply chains spearheading AWD rice in the United States:
1. Mars Food (Ben's Original & Seeds of Change)
The single largest buyer of AWD rice in the United States is Mars, Inc. The company launched a massive $20 million climate-smart rice initiative specifically targeting their major retail brands, Ben’s Original(formerly Uncle Ben's) and Seeds of Change.
The Sourcing: They partner directly with massive multi-generational farms in the U.S. Mid-South (like the Whitaker Farms in Arkansas) that have successfully transitioned their acreage to AWD, reducing field water usage by up to 60%.
In a major corporate shift, Amazon and Whole Foods entered a collaborative supply-chain network managed by the agricultural firm AgriCapture.
The Sourcing: This program financially incentivizes U.S. rice growers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas to switch from permanent flooding to verified AWD water management.
The resulting grain feeds directly into Amazon’s grocery networks, including Whole Foods' 365 store brand rice products.
3. Royal Basmati (LT Foods)
If you prefer aromatic imported rice, Royal Basmati (owned by LT Foods) is actively implementing AWD standards. They partner with the global Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) to roll out their "Low Carbon Assurance" verification, which relies directly on AWD farm tech to verify lower environmental impact.
How to Identify AWD Rice on the Shelf
Because "AWD" is an industry acronym, consumer packaging usually swaps it out for broad marketing language. When shopping, look for these three indicators on the back or side of the package:
"SRP-Verified" Label: The green stamp of the Sustainable Rice Platform explicitly requires certified low-carbon water techniques like AWD.
"Climate-Smart Rice" / "Regeneratively Grown": In the U.S. market, "Climate-Smart" is the specific legal designation used for crops grown under USDA-backed AWD and furrow-irrigation grants.
"Water-Wise" or "Water Efficient": Brands utilizing hybrids from agricultural groups like RiceTec utilize these phrases to signal AWD farming methods
Sadly I see more and more people acting illogically here like bio robots. Their cognitive ability is declining (more so for the jabbed elderly - sometimes I do not feel safe to be with them, particularly when they do reckless driving and cycling). Hence AI is a good cover up. These people are slowly taking over under the digital control system.
excellent detail here Qauntum. That trick about cooking it like pasta is a novel idea.
Overall, i decided not to worry neurotically about everything i swallow any more. i just do my best to be conscious, and switch it up for variety/exposure to different toxins. Sigh, we sure are in a muddle...
Thanks for this very important information. I live in South America and cannot purchase the safer brands you listed. I’m also of the mindset to not eat it but rarely, as I do. Dr Perlmutter’s book “Grain Brain” states it’s best not to eat any grains since our bodies don’t digest them properly and they are not healthy for us for various reasons. Decide for yourselves.
Rice is an incomplete protein, lacking some of the essential amino acids. So are red beans. BUT, red beans and rice complement each other and form a complete protein.
Good to know but rice has a high level of arsenic. There are some farms near me that are doing pland aka dryland rice farming in soil vs rice patties. The arsenic comes from the rice being grown in water. Flooded rice paddies displace soil oxygen. This causes chemical changes that dissolve iron molecules, releasing usually-trapped arsenic into the water
The climate activists say to go the "dryland" route as well because paddies are a source of methane released into the atmosphere (like cow burps). Also, white rice has less arsenic than brown, but still has some; one way to reduce that is to use extra water for cooking then drain the cooked rice.
Rinsing rice thru a fine sieve for 2 minutes helps somewhat. Look for Upland aka Dryland rice farmers. It is an arduous way to grow rice but most of those farms can't keep up with the demand. Many also 3rd party test for arsenic
That's right; I do recall seeing that about rinsing before cooking (though it uses a lot of water). I guess arsenic content also depends on where the rice is grown. ChatGPT says this:
Rice varieties
Generally lower:
Indian basmati
Pakistani basmati
California sushi rice
California jasmine
Generally higher:
Brown rice (from any region)
Rice from the southern U.S. on average
(due apparently to the use of arsenic based pesticides for cotton production in the past)
this is total news to me. We grow up seeing pictures of rice paddies in Thailand, so i didn't know, til the comments here today, anything about dryland farming.
The water most rice grows in has become so polluted that there is a warning to remove the outer coating, because of contamination. Organic basmati white rice has the least amount of detectible pesticide. I have not had any rice for years, but this used to be the best.
Excellent perspective. As a physician-scientist, I think foods like white rice are a good reminder that nutrition is often more about context than absolutes. A single food rarely determines health outcomes on its own; what matters is the overall dietary pattern, meal composition, and the individual’s metabolic health.
White rice has been a staple food in many of the world’s longest-lived populations for centuries. Rather than asking whether rice is inherently “good” or “bad,” I think a more meaningful question is how it’s eaten. Pairing carbohydrates with adequate protein, healthy fats, fiber-rich vegetables, and regular physical activity can substantially influence postprandial glucose responses and overall metabolic health.
I also think we’ve moved beyond the era of evaluating foods solely by their glycemic index. Glycemic responses are highly individualized and are influenced by factors such as sleep, exercise, gut microbiota, meal timing, insulin sensitivity, and even the order in which foods are consumed. The same bowl of rice can produce very different metabolic responses in different people.
Perhaps the broader lesson is that nutrition science increasingly favors dietary patterns over food labels. Demonizing individual foods often distracts us from the fundamentals: eating minimally processed foods, maintaining a healthy body composition, preserving muscle through adequate protein and resistance training, and building sustainable habits over decades.
The healthiest diet is rarely the one that eliminates a traditional staple but it’s the one that fits an individual’s biology, culture, and lifestyle while supporting long-term metabolic health.
And this is similar to how Persians prepare rice. They soak it first and drain the starch off, sub butter instead of coconut oil, and with a dash of saffron!
Some diet gurus have recently touted white over brown rice now that the resistant starch "hack" has been promulgated; is this due to its effect on the microbiome (and brown rice's higher phytate content)? There must be a reason traditional cultures have polished their rice (which entails an extra step in processing)?
This completely contradicts the myriad of reports I've read that one should NEVER reheat cooked white rice. It ranks as among the worst of all foods to reheat! Please explain this contradiction.
Yes, white rice has been unfairly demonized by celebrities for years. However, it is a fantastic base for all kinds of meals. For instance, stir fry over rice. Using coconut oil in the stir-fry, lots of veggies, plus some clean protein, makes a super healthy meal. There are so many recipes with white rice, even a simple egg over the top with some great garnishments.
Great tips thanks Sayer. As with potatoes being refrigerated and reheated for the resistant starch benefit. However I wonder if you or anyone else would comment on the issue during Covid of the high levels of arsenic in rice making Asian folk more vulnerable to the disease. Certainly my Japanese friend succumbed and had not been prepared to quit rice.
In general Japanese people prefer freshly cooked fluffy rice as left over one (even after being reheated) doesn't taste the same.
In that sense as far as recrystallising starch is concerned, Omusubi (rice balls) could be a better form to take. You can add other ingredients such as seaweed and sesame seeds.
I don't think coconut oil sits well in the Japanese kitchen. Maybe it has to be taken separately with something like salad with cold rice, if that works.
Whenever I cook rice, which is about once a week, I combine 1/4 white rice, 1/4 brown rice, 1/4 wild rice and 1/4 red lentils, soak it all for at least 24 hours, and drain off the soaking water before cooking. I use a 50/50 mix of pasture-raised butter and unrefined organic coconut oil for the fat. Then for good measure, after cooking I add in some powdered turmeric, ginger, black pepper, salt and fresh-pressed garlic.
Yum, what time is dinner, Greg! LOL
Great recipe! Thank you, Greg!😄
Sounds delish!
Sayer Ji’s methods are simple and novel. Thank you!
Alas, they don’t address the REAL problem of a daily rice diet.
Rice actively pulls heavy metals from the soil, and regular, heavy consumption can pose a long-term toxicity risk.
Because heavy metals are naturally occurring elements or industrial remnants in the earth, organic certification does not protect against them. Organic standards ban synthetic pesticides, but they cannot erase elements already present in the geology or history of the soil.
Which metals are pulled from soil?
Rice acts like a sponge for several toxic elements due to its unique physiology and flooded growing conditions. The primary elements of concern include:
Arsenic: The absolute highest risk factor. Rice fields are flooded with water, creating anaerobic (oxygen-poor) conditions that make inorganic arsenic highly water-soluble and easy for rice roots to absorb. Rice absorbs arsenic up to 10 times more efficiently than other grains.
Cadmium: The second most common contaminant. It is highly mobile in soil and transfers easily into the grain.
Lead & Mercury: Pulled in smaller but still measurable amounts from industrial pollution, legacy pesticides, or natural soil deposits.
Does daily rice diet cause oxicity?
For casual consumers, it rarely causes acute toxicity. However, for those who eat rice daily, recent data shows a legitimate long-term health risk.
An extensive food safety investigation by Consumer Reports tested 52 popular rice products and discovered measurable inorganic arsenic in 100% of the samples.
Alarmingly, 42% of the products contained enough inorganic arsenic that eating just one serving a day over a long period could significantly elevate the risk of skin and bladder cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
For infants, toddlers, and pregnant individuals, the risk is higher because their smaller body weights make them more vulnerable to neurodevelopmental issues and lowered IQ from heavy metal exposure.
Variables that change toxin levels
Grain Type
Brown Rice: The outer bran layer holds up to 80% more arsenic than white rice.
White Rice: The outer bran layer is polished away, removing a huge chunk of the metal.
Arborio & Instant: Tend to test higher for heavy metals and packaging chemicals.
Basmati & Jasmine: Naturally accumulate far less arsenic.
----------
3 Ways to Protect Yourself
The "Pasta Method" Cooking Technique
Do not let rice absorb all its cooking water. Instead, boil your rice in a large pot with extra water (a 1:6 or 1:10 ratio) for 5 minutes. Drain that water completely, add fresh water, and finish cooking. This flushes away up to 60% of the inorganic arsenic.
Diversify Your Grains
Rotate rice out for ancient grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth, barley, or buckwheat. These crops are not grown in flooded fields and do not bio-accumulate heavy metals the way rice does.
Source Wisely
When buying rice, actively look for white basmati from India or Pakistan, or white jasmine from Thailand. If buying American, choose white varieties specifically grown in California
------------
Does "dry-rice” growing solve the toxicity problem?
"Dry-rice" growing (often called aerobic rice cultivation or upland rice) significantly reduces arsenic levels, but it creates a serious trade-off by drastically increasing cadmium accumulation. [1, 2, 3, 4]
While it solves one toxic metal problem, it accidentally worsens another.
The Arsenic Drop vs. The Cadmium Spike
When rice is grown in unflooded, oxygen-rich "dry" soil rather than traditional flooded paddies, the chemical behavior of heavy metals changes drastically:
Arsenic Decreases by up to 90%: In dry, aerobic soil, arsenic binds tightly to iron oxides in the dirt. Because it is locked up chemically, the rice roots cannot easily absorb it. This yields a harvest with exceptionally low inorganic arsenic levels.
Cadmium Increases dramatically: This is the major catch. In flooded fields, the lack of oxygen causes sulfur to bind with cadmium, creating an insoluble compound that rice roots ignore. However, when the soil dries out and fills with oxygen, that bond breaks. The cadmium becomes highly water-soluble, and the rice plant aggressively pulls it into the grain.
Why is Cadmium a Concern?
While you successfully lower your cancer risk from arsenic, heavy consumption of dry-grown rice can swap that out for cadmium toxicity. Cadmium is a severe toxin that:
Targets the Kidneys: It accumulates in the renal cortex, potentially causing chronic kidney disease over time.
Weakens Bones: It interferes with calcium absorption, leading to bone density loss and fractures.
Stays in the Body: Cadmium has an incredibly long biological half-life, meaning your body takes decades to naturally eliminate it.
The Agricultural Solution: "Safe" Water Management
Because strictly flooded fields cause high arsenic, and strictly dry fields cause high cadmium, scientists and farmers use a middle-ground technique called Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD).
Instead of keeping fields continuously muddy or completely dry, farmers intentionally let the water drop a few inches below the soil surface before flooding it again. When timed perfectly, AWD minimizes arsenic absorption without triggering the massive spike in cadmium, making the final grain much safer for frequent consumption.
---------------
What are the major AWD brands in USA?
Because Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is heavily driven by carbon offset programs and water-conservation initiatives, the term "AWD" is rarely printed on grocery store packaging.
Instead, you have to look for specific major parent brands and eco-labels that explicitly fund and source from U.S. growers practicing AWD.
The largest corporate names and supply chains spearheading AWD rice in the United States:
1. Mars Food (Ben's Original & Seeds of Change)
The single largest buyer of AWD rice in the United States is Mars, Inc. The company launched a massive $20 million climate-smart rice initiative specifically targeting their major retail brands, Ben’s Original(formerly Uncle Ben's) and Seeds of Change.
The Sourcing: They partner directly with massive multi-generational farms in the U.S. Mid-South (like the Whitaker Farms in Arkansas) that have successfully transitioned their acreage to AWD, reducing field water usage by up to 60%.
2. Whole Foods Market & Amazon Grocery Brands (365 Everyday Value)
In a major corporate shift, Amazon and Whole Foods entered a collaborative supply-chain network managed by the agricultural firm AgriCapture.
The Sourcing: This program financially incentivizes U.S. rice growers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas to switch from permanent flooding to verified AWD water management.
The resulting grain feeds directly into Amazon’s grocery networks, including Whole Foods' 365 store brand rice products.
3. Royal Basmati (LT Foods)
If you prefer aromatic imported rice, Royal Basmati (owned by LT Foods) is actively implementing AWD standards. They partner with the global Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) to roll out their "Low Carbon Assurance" verification, which relies directly on AWD farm tech to verify lower environmental impact.
How to Identify AWD Rice on the Shelf
Because "AWD" is an industry acronym, consumer packaging usually swaps it out for broad marketing language. When shopping, look for these three indicators on the back or side of the package:
"SRP-Verified" Label: The green stamp of the Sustainable Rice Platform explicitly requires certified low-carbon water techniques like AWD.
"Climate-Smart Rice" / "Regeneratively Grown": In the U.S. market, "Climate-Smart" is the specific legal designation used for crops grown under USDA-backed AWD and furrow-irrigation grants.
"Water-Wise" or "Water Efficient": Brands utilizing hybrids from agricultural groups like RiceTec utilize these phrases to signal AWD farming methods
- from Michael Winn, HealingTaoUSA.com
If this theory is correct, why do Japan and other white rice eating Asian countries have (or rather used to have) a high average life expectancy?
(Btw This trend is reversing after the cvd shots. People continue to fall ill and drop dead)
My understanding also and tragic
Sadly I see more and more people acting illogically here like bio robots. Their cognitive ability is declining (more so for the jabbed elderly - sometimes I do not feel safe to be with them, particularly when they do reckless driving and cycling). Hence AI is a good cover up. These people are slowly taking over under the digital control system.
i'd love to see more of your comments because clearly you see and speak insightful truths.
excellent detail here Qauntum. That trick about cooking it like pasta is a novel idea.
Overall, i decided not to worry neurotically about everything i swallow any more. i just do my best to be conscious, and switch it up for variety/exposure to different toxins. Sigh, we sure are in a muddle...
Thanks for this very important information. I live in South America and cannot purchase the safer brands you listed. I’m also of the mindset to not eat it but rarely, as I do. Dr Perlmutter’s book “Grain Brain” states it’s best not to eat any grains since our bodies don’t digest them properly and they are not healthy for us for various reasons. Decide for yourselves.
what about butter? I love butter on my rice
Rice is an incomplete protein, lacking some of the essential amino acids. So are red beans. BUT, red beans and rice complement each other and form a complete protein.
i add coconut oil, tons of fresh herbs, and scallions to make a green goddess coconut rice.
Good to know but rice has a high level of arsenic. There are some farms near me that are doing pland aka dryland rice farming in soil vs rice patties. The arsenic comes from the rice being grown in water. Flooded rice paddies displace soil oxygen. This causes chemical changes that dissolve iron molecules, releasing usually-trapped arsenic into the water
The climate activists say to go the "dryland" route as well because paddies are a source of methane released into the atmosphere (like cow burps). Also, white rice has less arsenic than brown, but still has some; one way to reduce that is to use extra water for cooking then drain the cooked rice.
Rinsing rice thru a fine sieve for 2 minutes helps somewhat. Look for Upland aka Dryland rice farmers. It is an arduous way to grow rice but most of those farms can't keep up with the demand. Many also 3rd party test for arsenic
That is... rinse Before cooking
That's right; I do recall seeing that about rinsing before cooking (though it uses a lot of water). I guess arsenic content also depends on where the rice is grown. ChatGPT says this:
Rice varieties
Generally lower:
Indian basmati
Pakistani basmati
California sushi rice
California jasmine
Generally higher:
Brown rice (from any region)
Rice from the southern U.S. on average
(due apparently to the use of arsenic based pesticides for cotton production in the past)
Thank you for this Arktos99 .... really helpful!!
Oh great info. Thanks. Do you happen to know of UK available tested rice?
this is total news to me. We grow up seeing pictures of rice paddies in Thailand, so i didn't know, til the comments here today, anything about dryland farming.
The water most rice grows in has become so polluted that there is a warning to remove the outer coating, because of contamination. Organic basmati white rice has the least amount of detectible pesticide. I have not had any rice for years, but this used to be the best.
Excellent perspective. As a physician-scientist, I think foods like white rice are a good reminder that nutrition is often more about context than absolutes. A single food rarely determines health outcomes on its own; what matters is the overall dietary pattern, meal composition, and the individual’s metabolic health.
White rice has been a staple food in many of the world’s longest-lived populations for centuries. Rather than asking whether rice is inherently “good” or “bad,” I think a more meaningful question is how it’s eaten. Pairing carbohydrates with adequate protein, healthy fats, fiber-rich vegetables, and regular physical activity can substantially influence postprandial glucose responses and overall metabolic health.
I also think we’ve moved beyond the era of evaluating foods solely by their glycemic index. Glycemic responses are highly individualized and are influenced by factors such as sleep, exercise, gut microbiota, meal timing, insulin sensitivity, and even the order in which foods are consumed. The same bowl of rice can produce very different metabolic responses in different people.
Perhaps the broader lesson is that nutrition science increasingly favors dietary patterns over food labels. Demonizing individual foods often distracts us from the fundamentals: eating minimally processed foods, maintaining a healthy body composition, preserving muscle through adequate protein and resistance training, and building sustainable habits over decades.
The healthiest diet is rarely the one that eliminates a traditional staple but it’s the one that fits an individual’s biology, culture, and lifestyle while supporting long-term metabolic health.
Thank you!
And this is similar to how Persians prepare rice. They soak it first and drain the starch off, sub butter instead of coconut oil, and with a dash of saffron!
What about cooking it in bone broth instead of water?
Cooking rice in bone broth is what I do.
Me too ~ always
Some diet gurus have recently touted white over brown rice now that the resistant starch "hack" has been promulgated; is this due to its effect on the microbiome (and brown rice's higher phytate content)? There must be a reason traditional cultures have polished their rice (which entails an extra step in processing)?
Also, the link in the last note is broken; here is the correct one: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24175575/
This completely contradicts the myriad of reports I've read that one should NEVER reheat cooked white rice. It ranks as among the worst of all foods to reheat! Please explain this contradiction.
Yes, white rice has been unfairly demonized by celebrities for years. However, it is a fantastic base for all kinds of meals. For instance, stir fry over rice. Using coconut oil in the stir-fry, lots of veggies, plus some clean protein, makes a super healthy meal. There are so many recipes with white rice, even a simple egg over the top with some great garnishments.
Great tips thanks Sayer. As with potatoes being refrigerated and reheated for the resistant starch benefit. However I wonder if you or anyone else would comment on the issue during Covid of the high levels of arsenic in rice making Asian folk more vulnerable to the disease. Certainly my Japanese friend succumbed and had not been prepared to quit rice.
In general Japanese people prefer freshly cooked fluffy rice as left over one (even after being reheated) doesn't taste the same.
In that sense as far as recrystallising starch is concerned, Omusubi (rice balls) could be a better form to take. You can add other ingredients such as seaweed and sesame seeds.
I don't think coconut oil sits well in the Japanese kitchen. Maybe it has to be taken separately with something like salad with cold rice, if that works.
ah, the humble coconut saves the day again...