This is a two part question about the preparation of rice

rice in cold water, knead and rub and squish it around with your hands. be very delicate and gentle (the japanese way), unless you're a Westerner and just fucking hammer at it like it's some hooker's pussy.

most rice in the US is sold with added vitamins and shit, you really don't need this in your diet and it affects the flavor, best to wash it away desu

>rinse the rice 3 or 4 times
enjoy wasting time and water.

You cook that shit in boiling water, why would it be dangerous?

Depends on what type of rice really... the American or African long grain, any wild, brown, instant or parboiled I say no. Basmatti, Jasmine rice, any asian short or medium grain, yes. If you are cooking middle eastern style rice then no because you won't get the "crust" when cooking it. Also reccomend a rice cooker. Wonderful fluffy Asian rice cooked to perfection with well defined individual grains is about both about pressure and the steam.

I throw the rice I'm going to steam in a sieve and kinda just shlosh it around under a running tap until the water comes off clean, only takes like 20 seconds and it's low effort

OP here.
I should have mentioned that I've got a rice cooker. A pretty nice zojirushi. But I still need to rinse it even when using a rice cooker?

American white rice comes with powdered vitamins on it so you're not supposed to rinse it

op, rinse your rice if you like the way it feels that way, don't rinse it if you don't. it's really that simple. you're not required to rinse shit. don't rinse your rice if you like it slimier and stickier and rinse it if you like the grains to be seperate like minute rice.. maybe for fried rice

>don't rinse your rice if you like it slimier and stickier and rinse it if you like the grains to be seperate like minute rice.. maybe for fried rice
did you mean the opposite of this?

because whenever i rinse my rice, it comes out sticky as fuck, and i can't stand it.

Literally the absolute shittiest fried rice I've ever comprehended is your bullshit.

what about soaking the rice before cooking it, is that necessary?

anyone that says "meme" seriously doesn't get a serious answer.

rinse with warm water

i usually soak brown and basmati but only for as long as it takes me to prepare my veggies so obly five or ten minutes. it helps to soften the rice and gives it a nicer texture when it's finished.

It is entirely dependent on the kind of rice you use and what you are using it for like said.
Wild and brown varieties do not change texture characteristics much with rinsing (but you may choose to perform a single pass anyway to wash away any errant sand or bugs that happen to make it into your bag, especially if you buy sacks in open-market bulk/raw).

Washing your white rice removes latent starch from the surface giving the rice granules individual texture which is good on it's own as a side dish or plate for veggies/meat.

If it's going to blended into a bisque, made into risotto, or a layered casserole where you want a creamy/sticky texture leave it unwashed.

Comparison of the two end results:
youtube.com/watch?v=krdOf1dBeWo

Soaking brown rice is recommended because it removes possible arsenic content that can leech into the grains from the soil found in some supermarket brands (which is why the FDA issued warning against rice-based baby foods). The arsenic content concentrates into the bran of the grain, so regular rice containing only the starchy endosperm is considered safe.
nutritionfacts.org/video/arsenic-in-rice/
fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319870.htm

With brown rice, soaking also cuts down significantly on the time it takes for your machine to cook. Tests showed it took the Zoji model here 2 hours to finish unsoaked brown rice:
thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-rice-cooker

>Firstly, is rinsing it truly necessary or is it just a meme?
Yes. Mostly to make it less starchy in my experience but also obviously to wash it. If you're in the USA though it's a bad idea due to silly regulations.

More important is making sure not to leave rice out overnight for fried rice.

They don't rinse it because it's dirty but to remove the starch dust. Probably your mom liked it more starchy.

It cleans out any dust in the rice, and sort of makes it less starchy.
My mum always rinses it or leaves it out in a bowl of water so it cooks faster later.

With kind regards, a middle eastern shithole called lebanon

what kind of rice are you use ?

I have been memed by basmati for too long, fuck you Grandma, fuck you Mum, Fuck you Gordon Ramsey, I now know Jasmine is the best.