Couldn't find a non-AI picture of a bowl of rice?

The Kochbeutel is a German word but the idea comes from the US, I think. At least the brand that advertised parboiled rice in Germany for 50 years was Uncle Ben's (I guess it still is). "Der Gabeltest beweist es" ("the fork test proves it") https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgqrtKxTRGc

Personally I prefer Jasmine rice for every curry-style dish or even Gulasch (pörkölt). Sometimes Basmati but I don't particularly like the grain and it's a bit dry. For risottos we use Carnaroli. Then there's this pudding-like dish called Milchreis which is also short grain like sushi rice.

Sadly this is the fate of many bulk carb foods. A loaf of generic bread from the supermarket is only slightly related to something you make yourself with flour yeast water and salt. Similarly if you grew up on dry pasta shells in a box then fresh pasta made that day is going to be...different. As for potatoes, try making mash or fries out of yukon vs russet and see how that goes.

> I would no more make risotto with basmati than I would serve a Thai curry over Arborio. Both are rice, but that is where the useful similarity ends.

Claude might not do this, but everyone else can. Risotto with basmati might not work with the chemistry, but curry over Arborio would work fine in a pinch if it's all you had. It would alter the texture of the dish somewhat but you'd still get something resembling your intended meal.

Rice deserves better than that horrific AI image.

I eat a lot of rice, but I don't come from any Asian tradition. I find parboiled to be the easiest to cook and is very versatile unless you need glutinous (sticky) properties, and often also the cheapest on the shelf (in non-Asian stores). With jasmine and basmati, although they are more fragrant, if you over cook them they'll end up bloated with water.

But these days I almost never cook rice in water but in a stock or sauce or stew or soup of some kind.

The rice piles in that picture are uncomfortably regular.

The ARSENIC CONTENT may not alter the taste, fluffyness, shape or other observable qualities, but you might want to consider it.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/arsenic-in-rice