Rice: Good for somethin'

I am not a big fan of rice. It could disappear as a food option and I would not miss it. Kelvin, however, being Asian, is naturally a big rice-eater and feels that it is a perfect side dish for most things I cook, including most meats and even soup. I had never used a rice cooker (and actually did not think I new they existed!) until a couple of years ago as, in the rare instances I cooked rice, I just did it (er, burned it) on the stove top. I was horrified when, early in our relationship, he told his (Vietnamese) parents that I didn't care for rice, as I was convinced that after that comment, I would never be deemed a suitable daughter-in-law. It's not that I hate the taste of rice. It really doesn't taste like anything and really just fills me up. So, except for with curries and the occasional stir-fry, I'd rather "save" my calories and carbs for something more tasty.

I am happy to say, though, that I recently became aware of ONE redeeming feature of rice -- its ability to hasten fruit ripening. Kelvin was actually the one to mention this trick.... and I actually didn't believe him at the time. However, Google came to the rescue for confirmation of this "Vietnamese wives' tale." Just as fruit in close contact with other fruit (i.e. bananas in a bunch, rather than separating them) hastens ripening due to the ethylene gas produced by the fruit, apparently putting fruit in rice allows the ethylene to work in close contact and thus causes it to ripen faster. It apparently doesn't affect or ruin the rice either.

I have not yet put this to the scientific test. While we occasionally buy mangoes and papayas that could use some ripening assistance, my problem (well, not really my problem but rather others' problem, since I eat practically black bananas) is usually that fruit ripens faster than we can eat it.




Nevertheless, the next time we get unripe fruit, we may try a controlled experiment with fruit in rice vs fruit without rice. If you try it first, let me know the outcome!