Ophelia
No... for sweet dishes, the Thais use glutinous rice aka Sticky Rice, which is *not* a misnomer for improperly cooked ordinary rice... lol
I can't believe I saw the chefs on Ready Steady Cook a couple of weeks ago deliberately cook mushy ordinary rice for a Thai-style dish and call it sticky rice! I've seen Thai-style ready-meals in supermarkets with a similar mush described as same. Philistines!
Glutinous Rice is a short-ish grain rice with a high gluten content (as one might imagine from the name), usually only obtainable from asian-ethnic stores. It can't be boiled but must be soaked overnight and then steamed for a long time, which is why it's rare to find it in on the menu in Thai restaurants. I did once find a cheat method on a Thai cooking website using a microwave, which I use myself as it's not too bad. However my Thai next-door neighbour wasn't impressed!
Sticky rice is usually eaten in Northern and Eastern Thai dishes, and clumps together in a large lump when cooked. It's not really sticky as you might think, more dry & "chewy".. you break off a small piece with your fingertips, squeeze it flat between thumb & forefinger and use to scoop up various dishes. (As the Thais consider, the rice is the main part of the meal - everything else is just flavouring!). It's filling, and a completely different rice-eating experience. I love the stuff.
Dried CranberriesI've been looking everywhere for these. I can't remember where I saw them for sale recently. I've been back to...
It does have a slightly sweet flavour though, and is also the ingredient in the clbuttic Thai dessert, sticky rice & mango (drenched in rich coconut cream) which is truly delicious and worth going to Thailand for.
If anyone wants the microwave cooking method I'll be happy to share. Sue -- NTL ate my signature!
