Jasmine rice is Thailand's everyday long-grain rice, sold in Thai as khao hom mali. The grains are long and slender but cook up soft and slightly sticky rather than fluffy and separate like basmati, with a faint floral, popcorn-like smell that fills the kitchen. It is the rice under Thai green curry, pad kra pao, Vietnamese caramel pork and most of the Southeast Asian recipes on this site, and it is also the best choice for Thai-style fried rice once it has cooled.

How to buy

Look for "Thai Hom Mali" with the green Thai government seal on the bag; that guarantees real Thai jasmine rather than a jasmine-type grown elsewhere. Three Ladies, Golden Phoenix and Royal Umbrella are reliable brands at Asian grocers, and most US supermarkets stock Dynasty or Mahatma jasmine in 2 to 5 lb bags. New-crop rice (labeled "new crop" in fall) is the most fragrant. Brown jasmine exists too and needs about 40 minutes and extra water.

How to store

Keep uncooked rice in a sealed container in a cool, dark cupboard; it lasts a year or more, though the aroma fades after about six months, so buy smaller bags unless you cook it daily. If pantry moths are a problem, store it in the freezer. Cooked rice goes into the fridge within an hour and keeps 3 to 4 days, or freeze flat in zip bags for a month and microwave straight from frozen.

Substitutes

  • Any other long-grain white rice 1:1 — the texture will be drier and more separate, and you lose the aroma.
  • Basmati 1:1 — good with curries, but it is fluffier and needs slightly more water; the fragrance is nutty rather than floral.
  • Calrose or Japanese short-grain 1:1 — similar soft cling, slightly chewier; use a little less water.

How to use

Rinse in 2 or 3 changes of cold water until it runs mostly clear, then use 1 cup rice to 1 1/4 cups water on the stovetop (jasmine needs less water than most long-grain rice). Bring to a boil, cover, drop to the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes before fluffing. In a rice cooker just use the white-rice line. The classic mistake is the 1:2 ratio from the back of the bag, which turns jasmine to mush. For fried rice, spread cooked rice on a tray to cool or use day-old rice from the fridge.

By · Updated