Eli5: Korean Microwave Rice

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How does it work? The rice is tough(too al dented) then you microwave it and then it becomes soft?? Where does the water come from? Heating the water molecules means.. the water inside the rice but then that means it shouldn’t be al dented before heating..
Only think I can think is something breaks down during the heating process. Pls :p

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Cooking rice (and pasta) does not just involve the food taking up water. It is also the starch molecules in the food opening up their structure in a process called [starch gelatinization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch_gelatinization).

You can do this process a part of the way and the starch will partially unfold and bind some water into itself. Then you stop, cool it down and package it. Then, with the application of a bit more heat the water that was already bound into the starch molecules can coax the starch to unfold the rest of the way and the cooking process is complete.