Kow Suiw or Steamed Rice is the type of rice that we eat everyday with a spoon. One of the most popular types of steamed rice in Thailand is Jasmine rice. Brown rice is a healthier type of steamed rice but many Thai people refuse to eat it because it doesn't look as good as white rice. They think it looks dirty. Some Thai people choose to eat and some vegetarian restaurants serve it because it is so healthy.

Kow Neow or Sticky Rice is rice that you cook in a special way and eat by hand. It’s much heavier than steamed rice. Usually North and Northeast Thai people eat this rather than steamed rice.  Many people think that sticky rice is the same type of rice as steamed rice but it’s not. Sticky rice comes in two different colors: black and white.  Both are natural although black sticky rice is usually served in desserts and white sticky rice is used for daily meals.  We love to eat sticky rice very much.

Thais respect rice because they believe in a rice goddess called Mae Prosop who protects the rice crops.  We have a ceremony for the rice before the rice season and after the harvest season.
Rice in Thailand
How to cook Kow Suiw or Steamed Rice
It depends on how many people you want to cook for. If you want to cook for 2 people, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 1cup of rice to the boiling water. Stir the rice frequently until the outside of the rice is soft and the inside is a little hard (approximately 5 minutes).  Drain the remaining water. Simmer the rice on low for about 3-5 minutes. It’s ready to serve.
How to cook Kow Neow or Sticky Rice
Again it depends on how many people you want to cook for.  Soak 2-3 cups of rice in the water for a couple hours or overnight to serve 2 people.  After that, gently pour the rice into a steamer bowl.  Sticky rice is not boiled like steamed rice, but instead steamed in a steamer above a boiling pot of water.  Place the steamer over boiling water and let the rice steam covered with a lid for 15-30 minutes or until the rice is soft and sticky.  Put the cooked sticky rice on a tray and stir or fan off the heat and steam. When cooled put in a covered container. It’s ready to eat all day long.
Rice is the main food for Thai people.  We eat rice two to three times a day!  There are two main kinds of rice in Thailand: Steamed Rice and Sticky Rice.
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