As I mentioned, we do a lot of African cooking at home, some of which involves rice. There is conflicting information about rice, particularly white rice. We hear that anything that you consume that is white is dangerous and can lead to diabetes, heart issues, and obesity. At the same time, we hear that African and Asian diets are healthy, both of which include a lot of rice.
More disconcerting than the challenged nutrition of rice, there are reports of mass production of rice made of plastic to keep up with the world wide demand. Disclaimer: I'm not sure if any of these reports have been substantiated.
One of my (many) sister-in-laws in Africa sent me an article that lists ways to verify if rice is pure or made of plastic. I deduced that perhaps this has become a concern in Africa as well.
Since we do consume a lot of rice, it behooves us to verify the content of the rice. It couldn't hurt. Perhaps it will help.
There are a few methods in the message from my sister in law.
Method 1: Water
Put rice in a container and add water. If the rice is on the bottom, it's real. If it floats, it's plastic.
Method 2: Fire
Take a small handful of rice and burn it. If it smells like burnt plastic, guess what...it's plastic.
Method 3: Mortar & Pestle
Smash a small handful of rice with the help of a mortar and pestle. If the powder is white, it's real. If the powder is yellow, it's plastic.
Method 4: Mold
This is said to be the ultimate test to avoid any risk. Put a small quantity of cooked rice in an air tight container. Place it in a cool place for a few days. If the rice is real, mold will begin to appear after a few days. If there is no mold, the rice is artificial.
I decided to employ the first method. The rice we currently have is in a 20 pound bag with Chinese writing on it. After dropping a small handful of rice into a glass, I added water. The rice stayed at the bottom the entire time. No floating is good news!
Crisis averted! Now we can eat our rice without worrying about risk or harm.
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