In eateries and restaurants, rice is ever-present. This was not always the case. As immigrants from rice-focused countries have increased in number in the US and Europe, so too have eateries that cater to them, and to the rest of us. “Authenticity” is not the point, although a close resemblance to “the real thing” is always a good selling point, no matter how far-fetched the link.
During the 1850s, Chinese workers in California opened small, simple restaurants in their “Chinatowns” in order to cater to their compatriots. Steamed white rice mounded in a bowl was the backdrop for pork, greens, tofu, seasonings of fermented black beans, soy and oyster sauces, as well as garlic, ginger, spring onions (scallions) and sesame oil. Eventually, menus expanded as non-Chinese customers arrived, although there was often a separation between what the Chinese and non-Chinese ate, with the exception of rice, of course!
What we think of as “fried rice” began as a way to use up leftovers in the kitchen and was not included on the menu, at first at least. Nevertheless, fried rice in various guises (pork, shrimp, tofu) has become a staple in restaurants today, whether Cantonese or not. Fried rice is now available as Minute Rice, a ready-to-eat microwave meal.
The Asian immigrants that came to New York, California and Texas beginning in the 1970ss prepared rice that reflected their backgrounds. Pho – the archetypal Vietnamese rice noodle soup – is found in San Jose and Houston; Thai sticky rice with mangoes and coconut is eaten in Los Angeles and New York City; Fujianese chicken with fermented red rice paste can be found in Queens, New York and in Little Fuzhou, in Brooklyn, New York. Indonesian, Korean, Singaporean, Taiwanese and Malaysian rice dishes are also represented.
According to folklore, risotto emerged in Italy in 1754. A stained-glass maker, working on Il Duomo in Milan, added saffron to his glass recipe to achieve a bright yellow colour. Liking the results, as a joke, he also coloured the beef marrow and rice with saffron at a wedding feast, but the guests found the dish delectable. It became known as risotto alla Milanese. The classic way to make risotto involves cooking short-grain, high-starch rice in butter or oil, so that the grains are coated with fat. Hot stock or other liquids are added very slowly, and the mixture must be stirred continuously while the starch is slowly released from the grains, which acquire a chewy, creamy texture. Butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are added shortly before consumption. When risotto is featured on menus in Italian restaurants, there is often a caveat: “The risotto will take 25 minutes to prepare.” In addition to the classic risotto alla Milanese, restaurant goers now find all kinds of risotto on the menu. Speedier ways to prepare risotto have evolved, and less traditional ingredients have become standard: vegetarian risotto with tofu, and nondairy risotto (made with rice milk and puréed nuts for creaminess). Risotto now even comes in a box.
Paella originated in Valencia, Spain. The word “paella” may be a corruption of the phrase por ella, which means “for her”. (According to legend, a lover once prepared por ella for his fiancée.) Or, it may come from the name of the round, shallow pan with two handles that is used for cooking paella, a paellera. Paella began as a mixture of rice, vegetables, rabbit and snails that labourers cooked over an open fire in the fields and ate directly from the pan. A soccarat is formed when the bottom of the pan remains very hot and browns the bottommost rice, which becomes crunchy. In the US, paella Valenciana has come to mean a preparation that includes chicken, chorizo, shrimp, clams, short- or medium-grain white rice, vegetables and seasonings, and saffron. And yes, paella comes in a box or as a frozen meal.
Pilaf was originally destined for aristocrats. Called pulao in Iran, Afghanistan and India, the best pilaf is made with aromatic Basmati rice that is usually aged for several years, and therefore is expensive.
The goal of every pilaf cook is to serve fragrant mounds of steaming individual rice grains. To make pilaf, rice is washed or soaked, then drained until the water runs clear of starch. A spice mix of pounded green cardamom pods, cumin seeds and cloves is cooked in ghee with caramelised onions. Rice is stirred into the mixture and the grains are coated with fat. Water or stock is added, and the rice cooks at a simmer until “steam holes” appear. Then the covered pot steams for another 20 to 30 minutes. Putting a dry towel on top of the rice, inside the pot, helps absorb the water condensing on the inner lid and ensures that the grains will continue to separate from each other. This prevents gummy rice. Afghans and Iranians often pour ghee into the centre of cooked rice where it spreads across the bottom of the pot. As the rice steams for 30 more minutes, a tahdig is formed: a browned crunchy crust on the bottom of the pot.
While the origins of gumbo will be forever debated, there are some facts that are not in dispute: they may seem contradictory, but that is part of the story. Gumbo is the essential Creole (for some) or Cajun (for others) soupy rice dish that gets its name from okra (from the Bantu word nkombo). The legacy of French colonialism includes roux, a butter or oil and flour mixture used for thickening. Some gumbos use ground sassafras as a thickener; a Choctaw influence. Cajuns use crawfish in their gumbos. Spicy sausages may have come from the Cajuns, and smoked sausage from the Germans. The use of tomatoes depends on the cook and her or his traditions.
Excerpted with permission from Rice: A Global History, Renee Marton, Pan Macmillan.
