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Short-grain rice

Grains, rice & flours · Rice

Short-grain rice

Plump, round rice rich in sticky starch; covers sushi rice and the risotto and paella rices.

Also called: sushi rice, japanese rice, calrose, arborio, risotto rice, bomba, paella rice, carnaroli

A kind of rice

46 recipes with it

Photo: Ocdp, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0-1.0)

What it is

Short-grain rices are almost as wide as they are long and contain more amylopectin, the starch that makes cooked rice cling. Japanese sushi rice and Calrose (a medium grain) cook to soft, glossy, slightly sticky grains. Italian arborio and carnaroli release starch into stock for creamy risotto, while Spanish bomba absorbs a lot of liquid but stays firm for paella. It is not the same as glutinous (sticky) rice.

Oryza sativa japonica

How it’s used

  • Sushi rice seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt
  • Risotto with arborio or carnaroli
  • Paella with bomba or other Spanish rice
  • Onigiri and Japanese steamed rice
  • Rice pudding

Characteristics

Texture
Soft, moist and clingy; risotto types stay slightly firm at the centre.
When cooked
Rinse sushi rice well; do not rinse risotto rice, whose surface starch is what makes the sauce creamy.
Sold as
whole
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling

Varieties

  • Koshihikari
  • Calrose
  • Arborio
  • Carnaroli
  • Vialone Nano
  • Bomba
  • Calasparra

Storage

Pantry-stable. Airtight in a cool, dry cupboard. Japanese new-crop rice is prized fresh; use within months for best flavour.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Cooked rice can carry spores of Bacillus cereus that survive cooking; cool leftovers quickly (within about an hour), refrigerate, use within 1 day and reheat until steaming hot throughout. Do not keep cooked rice warm for hours.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
358 kcal
Protein
6.5 g
Carbohydrate
79.15 g
Fat
0.52 g
Fibre
— g
Sugars
— g

USDA FoodData Central: Rice, white, short-grain, raw, unenriched.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Long-grain white rice — Only for plain steamed rice; it will not give sushi cohesion or risotto creaminess.

Related ingredients

Recipes with short-grain rice

See all 46

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