MEDIUM GRAIN

Medium-grain rice has a slight stickiness and absorbs other flavours well. Often medium- and short-grain categories overlap. Sushi rice and paella rice belong in this category as does the U.S. Calrose rice which is often used for sushi and marketed under Japanese sounding names. It is semi-glutinous and the grains are glossy-looking and slightly sticky.

Bomba or Valencia Spanish rice is perfect for paella because it expands across its width not length. It absorbs about 3 times the liquid to rice ratio and tastes of whatever it’s cooked in.

Medium-grain rice is rinsed before using to remove some of the surface starch, then cooked with a ratio of 1 cup (250 mL) rice to 1 ⁄ cups (310 mL) water.