Black Glutinous Rice: Choosing the Right Dark Rice for Thai Desserts
Black glutinous rice is a dark, wholegrain sticky rice used in Thai sweets.
Black glutinous rice is a dark, wholegrain sticky rice used in Thai sweets. You may see it sold as black sweet rice or black sticky rice. Its colour is striking, but colour alone does not identify the bag a recipe needs.
For a Thai black sticky-rice pudding, look for a Thai product explicitly labelled glutinous, sticky or sweet rice. Riceberry, other black rices and wild rice are not interchangeable names for it.
Why a pudding may contain white rice too
In Pailin Chongchitnant's black sticky-rice pudding, white glutinous rice helps give the surrounding liquid a creamy body. Black rice retains its outer layer, so it does not release starch in quite the same way.
That matters when following a recipe. Removing the white rice from a mixed-rice pudding can change its consistency. It is better to use instructions developed for all-black rice than quietly rewriting the ingredient list halfway through.
Shop for the dish you intend to make
Before buying, check three things: the rice's full name, whether your recipe uses a blend and whether the preparation is a pudding or steamed rice. Keep a photograph of the recipe's ingredient list on your phone if the shop has several similar bags.
If you cannot find the specified rice, choose a recipe for the product available. A white sticky-rice dessert can be delicious in its own right. A dark colour is an attractive detail; the right texture is the reason to choose the ingredient.