Curated lists

Rice dishes

The 24 best-known rice dishes from around the world, each with a short background and where it comes from.

01
Sushi
Japan
Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with vinegared rice (鮨飯, sushi-meshi), typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of ingredients (ねた, neta), such as seafood, vegetables, or meat; raw seafood is the most common, although some…
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02
Pilaf
Iran Tajikistan
Pilaf (US: or pilau UK: ) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables and meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains…
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03
Biryani
India
Biryani is a mixed rice dish traditionally made with spiced meat, seafood, or vegetables. It was present in Mughal-era India, though whether it was created there is debated. It is thought to derive from a Persian rice dish, either pilau or birinj biryan.
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04
Paella
Spain
Paella is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. Paella is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine.
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05
Risotto
Italy
Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Parmesan cheese.
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06
Mochi
United States
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome (もち米), a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape.
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07
Bibimbap
South Korea
Bibimbap, sometimes romanised as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed or blanched seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste).
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08
Onigiri
Japan
Onigiri (おにぎり, お握り or 御握り), also known as omusubi (おむすび or お結び) or nigirimeshi (握り飯), is a Japanese rice ball made from white rice. It is usually formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, and wrapped in nori (seaweed).
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09
Fried rice
People's Republic of China
Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten as a main dish or as an accompaniment to another dish.
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10
Congee
People's Republic of China
Congee ( KON-jee, derived from Tamil கஞ்சி [kaɲdʑi]) is a form of savoury porridge, primarily made by boiling rice in large amount of water until it softens or dissolves, and commonly flavored with salt or mild broth.
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11
Kheer
India
Kheer, khir, ksheerannam, payesh, doodh pheni, payasam, meetha bhat, or sweet rice, is a pudding or porridge (specifically rice pudding) popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice.
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12
Nasi goreng
Indonesia Malaysia
Nasi goreng (English pronunciation: ), (Indonesian and Malay for 'fried rice') is a Southeast Asian rice dish typically prepared with pre-cooked rice stir-fried in a small amount of oil or margarine and seasoned with ingredients such as sweet soy sauce,…
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13
Appam
India Sri Lanka
An appam or aappam is a type of thin pancake in South Indian cuisine. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an appachatti, a deep pan similar in shape to a wok.
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14
Tteokbokki
South Korea
Tteokbokki (Korean: 떡볶이), topokki or simmered rice cake, is a Korean food made from small-sized garae-tteok (long, white, cylinder-shaped rice cakes) called tteokmyeon or commonly tteokbokki-tteok.
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15
Minestrone
Italy
Minestrone or minestrone di verdure is a thick vegetable soup of Italian origin. It typically includes onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, courgettes, often legumes, such as beans, chickpeas or fava beans, and sometimes pasta or rice, and is…
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16
Kabsa
Saudi Arabia
Kabsa (Arabic: كبسة, romanized: kabsah), also known as Makboos (Gulf Arabic: مكبوس) or Machboos, is an Arab mixed rice dish that originates from Saudi Arabia or Yemen.
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17
Dango
Japan
Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made with regular rice flour and glutinous rice flour. They are usually made in round shapes, and three to five pieces are served on a skewer, which is called kushi-dango (串団子).
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18
Khichri
India
Khichdi or khichri is a dish in South Asian cuisine made of rice and lentils (dal) with numerous variations. Variations include bajra and mung dal khichri.
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19
Jambalaya
United States
Jambalaya is a savory rice dish that developed in the U.S. state of Louisiana fusing together African, Spanish, and French influences, consisting mainly of meat and/or seafood, and vegetables mixed with rice and spices.
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20
Nasi lemak
Malaysia
Nasi lemak is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish.
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21
Jollof rice
Ghana Nigeria
Jollof, or jollof rice, is a rice dish from Senegal, West Africa. It is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary…
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22
Orzo
Italy
Orzo, also known in Italy as risoni, is a form of short-cut pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is made from flour, often with semolina.
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23
Omurice
Japan
Omurice or omu-rice (オムライス, omu-raisu) is a Japanese dish consisting of fried rice topped with a special omelette. Omurice is most commonly cooked at home. It is often featured in Japan's version of a children's meal, okosama-ranchi (お子様ランチ).
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24
Donburi
Japan
Donburi is a Japanese "rice-bowl dish" consisting of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice. Donburi meals are usually served in oversized rice bowls which are also called donburi.
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