Khao Suay: Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice (khao hom mali — fragrant jasmine rice) is grown in the northeast Thai plains and is considered among the world's finest rice varieties. Its delicate floral aroma — from 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the same compound that gives basmati and pandan leaf their fragrance — is volatile and must be preserved by correct storage and correct cooking. Thompson's *Thai Food* treats rice preparation with the same seriousness as any curry — which is appropriate.
Fragrant Thai jasmine rice cooked by absorption — the ratio of rice to water calibrated precisely, the heat sequence (high to bring to the boil, low to absorb) followed without variation, and the 10-minute post-cook rest observed without lifting the lid. Khao suay (beautiful rice) is not a minor preparation. It is the foundation of every Thai meal. Rice served incorrectly — sticky when it should be separate, dry when it should be yielding, flat when it should be fragrant — diminishes everything it accompanies.