Rice is highly regarded as one of the most popular food items around the world. Because of its popularity, about half of the world’s population is eating rice, although most of the people that consume rice are located in the countries of Asia. Even though you will most likely see Asian dishes having rice as a primary ingredient, the food items can also be found in popular recipes in Europe and other regions, with the most popular being risotto.
Because it is utilized in various recipes, there are also many ways for you to cook rice, like boiling, steaming, and even frying. But did you know that rice can actually be used for other purposes besides cooking? To know more, here are descriptions of the different uses of rice.
Make Tasty Recipes
Of course, the main use of rice is for cooking delicious meals. With rice, you make various tasty recipes, like vegetarian red beans and rice, Mexican rice, and burritos. You can search through Google and other search engines for rice recipes in an instant, so you wouldn’t really have trouble finding different ways to use rice for cooking and eating.
Used To Make Rice Wine
Rice wine is a pretty well-known alcoholic beverage in Asia that is made from, as its name already suggests, rice. In order to make rice wine, rice starch is converted to sugars and then fermented for at least 18 days. There are various types of rice wine that are found in different regions of the world, including Tapuy (from the Philippines), Handia (from India), and Cheongju (from Korea).
Can Help Ripen Fruit Faster
One of the most surprising uses of rice is that it can help ripen fruit faster. If you have fruits that did not ripen correctly, then you can place them in a bowl and then pour rice in the bowl until you can no longer see the fruits. The rice traps ethylene, a hydrocarbon that is responsible for making a fruit ripe so that the fruits can ripen quicker. However, you shouldn’t bury the fruits in rice for a long time, as the rice can overripe them. The recommended time for ripening a fruit using rice is four to five days, depending on the current ripeness of the fruit.
Can Keep Tools Rust-Free
If you want to keep your tools in great condition for a long time without any signs of rust, then you should cover them with grains of uncooked rice. The rice can help absorb moisture in the air, which is one of the factors that can often affect the condition of metal tools. You can place rice inside your toolbox, or you can keep your tools submerged in a large bowl of rice whenever you are not using them.
Can Dry Out a Wet Phone
If you have dropped your phone on the toilet, the sink, or a puddle accidentally, you can dry it out by covering it with rice. The rice will help in drying out the phone since it can absorb moisture and water. Fill up a bowl with rice, and then place your phone on the bowl while covering all sides of it with rice. In just a few days, the rice will take out the water from the phone, and you will be able to use the device again.
Can Be Utilized as Glue
Because of how sticky cooked rice is, it can be used to make homemade rice glue. What’s interesting about rice is that it can also dry pretty quickly, which is why it is perfect to be used as an alternative for glue. Besides being made from a natural ingredient, rice glue is also safer for the environment since you are using or purchasing chemicals, which are often used to make the glue that you can buy in stores.
Can Be a Knife Block
Because of the anti-rusting features of rice, it is also perfect as one of the materials for a DIY knife block. To make the rice knife block, you would need to get a large bottle, jar, or a vase and then fill it with plenty of rice. Once it is properly filled, you can then stick the knives into the rice inside the vase or bottle. The rice can help the knives stay in great condition since it can prevent rusting. If the rice gets too wet, you can replace it with another set of uncooked rice.
Can Be Used as a Face Cleanser
Rice water, which is the water that was used to rinse the rice before cooking, is said to have properties that can cleanse the face from harmful elements. This rice water is said to be rich in antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids, which are primarily utilized to get rid of toxins in the body. If you regularly eat rice in the household, you can keep the rice water and cleanse your face with it every night before sleeping.
Can Provide Nourishment to Your Hair
Fermented rice water is beneficial for those that want healthier hair, as the liquid actually has vitamins, specifically vitamins B, C, and E, that can help provide nourishment to your hair. To make proper fermented rice water, all you have to do is let the rice water sit at room temperature for a day. You can then pour the fermented rice water into a spray bottle so that you can distribute the liquid evenly on your hair.
Those are some of the most popular uses for rice. Due to its many different uses, rice is also considered by many to be one of the most versatile ingredients or materials in the world, and only a few items are as useful as rice for various purposes. However, remember that rice should always be regarded as a food item first, so don’t waste a lot of rice for other uses besides cooking and just only a few grains of rice or some leftovers that you and your family have not eaten in a long time.