Over 3.5 billion people
from around the world eat rice as a staple part of their diet, and we can only show some of the beloved rice dishes that exist. Let's take a look at how rice
is eaten around the world. This dish stirs up a debate out of love. Jollof rice is a dish from West Africa that varies from country to country. It's popular in Nigeria,
Senegal, Ghana, and many others. Most jollof rice dishes include tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Choices of protein can vary from lamb to chicken, beef, or fish. Jollof rice can be served with sides like fried plantains or vegetables. Nasi goreng is Indonesia's national dish and translates simply to "fried rice." It's believed to have been introduced when Chinese immigrants
made their way to Indonesia sometime between the
10th and 15th centuries. Nasi goreng is made with
an abundance of spices, garlic, shallot, and a sweet
soy sauce called kecap manis. Meat, vegetables, and
eggs can also be added in. Some accompaniments include
fried prawn crackers, salad, or sambal, an
Indonesian chili sauce. In Spanish cuisine, paella
is a must-try rice dish. It originated in Valencia
and is best cooked in a paella pan over an open fire. Traditionally, it was made
by farm laborers during lunch and eaten straight from the pan. The meats and vegetables used in this dish varied based on whatever
was available at the time. Nowadays, there are plenty of variations with meat and seafood. Essential ingredients are
onions, garlic, and saffron for a deep yellow stain. This creamy rice dish
is an Italian staple. Arborio or carnaroli rice is
the best type of grain to use. The rice is cooked with
broth, butter, onions, wine, and Parmesan cheese. Some may argue that
risotto is time consuming and requires a lot of
attention when cooking, but once you get a hang of the technique, the dish can be ready in
as little as 30 minutes. Cơm tấm, also known as broken rice, is a Vietnamese dish
with humble beginnings. The grains used in cơm tấm are considered to be broken leftovers from
the drying and milling process. Traditionally, farmers
from the Mekong Delta would cook the unsellable grains. Eventually, they introduced
the dish to the city of Saigon, which is now known as Ho Chi Minh City. Cơm tấm is served with a variety of sides, like shredded pork, eggs,
and pickled vegetables. This rice entree comes
from the city of Yangzhou in China's Jiangsu province. Some may know the dish
as house fried rice. It's made of rice tossed with roast pork, shrimp, scallions, eggs,
and peas inside of a wok. The best type of rice to
use is leftover cooked rice. Chinese restaurants
worldwide have kept this dish a staple menu item. India's biryani rice
is a fusion of spices. The word biryani derives
from the Persian word birian and means "fried before cooking." A long-grain rice, such as
basmati, is fried and cooked with meat, vegetables,
eggs, nuts, and fruits. Depending on the region,
there are countless variations and cooking methods of biryani. Puerto Rico's rice dish is also considered the island's national dish. Arroz con gandules is rice
cooked with pigeon peas, pork, and sofrito sauce. It's usually served during
holidays and special occasions. Jamaican rice and peas uses
pigeon peas or kidney beans. Long-grain rice is
cooked with coconut milk, garlic, scallions, pepper, and allspice. Rice and peas is commonly served
in households every Sunday. It's usually served as a
side dish along with curries or jerk and barbecue chicken. Using similar ingredients like pigeon peas and coconut milk, Trinidad
and Tobago's rice dish is called pelau. Trinidadians use a technique
called browning the meat by adding meat to burnt sugar in a pot with onions and garlic
before adding the rice and other ingredients. For extra flavor, a key
ingredient to add near the end of cooking would be
Golden Ray salted butter. The final product can be served wet, meaning it's on the soupier side, or dry, on the grainy side. Korean bibimbap translates to "mixed rice with meat and vegetables." Traditionally, it was made with raw beef and raw egg yolk. Today, many variations
exist based on choice. White rice is served with side dishes like kimchi, onions, eggs,
mushrooms, and so on. Bibimbap is served with gochujang sauce for extra flavor. When visiting Louisiana,
you must add jambalaya to your food-bucket list. The one-pot dish is a
staple in New Orleans and can be categorized into two types, Creole and Cajun. The Creole version is
redder and uses tomatoes. In both versions,
long-grain rice is cooked with a mix of meats. Some popular choices are
seafood, chicken, or sausage. Some variations include all three. Vegetables, onions, spices, and peppers are also mixed in. This rice dish is sweet. Champorado is a chocolate porridge made with glutinous sweet rice. Traditionally, tableya, or
pure cocoa blocks, are used, but cocoa powder makes
a great substitution. In the Philippines, the
porridge is commonly eaten for breakfast and served alongside tuyo, a salted dried fish. It's topped with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, or coconut milk. Tahdig is basically scorched rice. It's made from the
pan-fried layer of crust at the bottom of the rice pot. Many years ago, rice was a
luxury ingredient in Persia. According to legend,
a single grain of rice should not go wasted or left in the pot. To achieve this, cooks would
layer the bottom of the pot with bread to prevent
the rice from burning. Other techniques use a mixture of rice, yogurt, and saffron or thin
slices of peeled potatoes. Whichever ingredients you choose to place beneath the rice, the end
result will be a golden crispy layer at the bottom of the pot. Mansaf is Jordan's national dish. It consists of rice and
lamb cooked in a sauce called jameed, which is
a fermented dried yogurt. The dish is served on a platter in layers with a base of flatbread. Rice, jameed, lamb, almonds, and pine nuts are layered on top. These Japanese rice
balls are called onigiri. Steamed rice is formed
into shapes like balls, triangles, or cylinders. It's then wrapped in nori, dried seaweed. Onigiri can be eaten plain
or stuffed with fillings like salmon or vegetables. It makes a perfect snack for on the go. What's your favorite dish? Will you be trying any
of these in our video? Let us know in the comments below.
