Rice is an integral
part of almost every Asian diet and for others it also serves as
their livelihood. Though it is often generalized that Asians eat
a lot of rice, which is in part quite true, there are other parts
of the world that consume a lot of rice as well. They include the
Middle East, Latin/Spanish countries, and the Mediterranean.
In Laos there
are two types of rice that are most common. Steamed rice (which
is actually cooked by boiling) and sticky or glutinous rice which
is the one that is actually made by steaming - not meant to be confusing
but Westerners often use the term 'steamed rice' which is essentially
what you get from "Uncle Ben's" quick cooking rice products in North
America (which is boiled).
There is quite
a bit of starch in rice; that part of the rice is called amylose.
It is also this part that determines how soft and sticky the rice
will be. Out of most Asian countries, Laos prefers one of the lowest
percentages of amylose, 2%. This is in part why our two main types
of rice are the way they are (a bit more sticky) and why it differs
slightly from other countries.
Rice of course
is very healthy, easy to cook and it's easy for our bodies to digest.
It's also for these same reasons why it's not a bad idea to give
even pets rice to eat. Rice to Asians, are like bread and potatoes
to Westerners - it's an integral part of most major meals. In fact
if you ever speak to older Lao individuals, who grew up with a Lao
food habits, after a meal that had no rice they'll often say that
they don't feel full or that it didn't feel like a complete meal.
