How to Wash Rice

"This type of rice was a major technological innovation in Japan in the past 30 years, where starchy rice rinsing water waste was a significant source of pollution in the water system. It isn't always straightforward to identify a bag of musen-mai. Nishiki's sushi rice, for example, is, though it isn't easily identified as such on the bag. The brand Botan, however, has the label prominently displayed."

"Soaking your rice for 30 minutes reduces the time you'll need to cook it, since it absorbs moisture and the starches swell during the soaking process. But, you may be thinking, rice only takes a total of around 20 minutes to cook on the stovetop and an hour in the rice cooker. Reducing the cooking time isn't about saving time overall."

"Zojirushi makes many rice cooker models, but this one is our favorite thanks to its combination of two powerful rice-cooking technologies: micom (short for microcomputerized) technology and induction heating. The micom technology means that the machine adjusts cooking time and temperature based on real-time data that it pulls about how the rice is cooking. So if you don't quite add the right amount of water, or if the brand of rice you bought happens to cook faster"

Musen-mai emerged as a technological innovation in Japan to address pollution from starchy rice rinsing water, though labeling can be inconsistent across brands. Soaking rice for about 30 minutes allows grains to absorb moisture and swell, shortening required cooking time and helping aromatic varieties such as basmati and jasmine retain scent and flavor. Soaking also generates starchy water that is discarded, reducing gumminess similar to washing. Electric rice cookers with micom and induction heating provide consistent results by adjusting cooking time and temperature using real-time data about how the rice is cooking.

Read at Bon Appetit