Rice varieties are not interchangeable, and starch is why

Treat the sections below as a sequence. With choosing rice, getting the early decisions right makes the later ones much easier.

Two starches, many results

Rice starch comes in two forms, and the proportion between them is what makes one variety fluffy and another creamy. Higher amylose gives grains that stay firm and separate, which is the character of a long-grain rice like basmati. Higher amylopectin gives softer, stickier grains that cling, which is what short-grain and glutinous varieties do.

Substituting one for the other does not give the same dish cooked slightly differently; it gives a different dish.

Why risotto rice behaves as it does

Risotto varieties have a high-amylopectin outer layer that dissolves into the liquid with stirring, and a firmer core that survives. That combination is what produces a creamy sauce around grains with bite, and it is the reason the rice is not rinsed. Adding liquid gradually is really about agitation and concentration rather than absorption magic, and the stirring is what releases the starch.

At the stove, a long-grain rice in a risotto gives soup with rice in it, because there is not enough soluble starch to make the sauce.

Rinsing is a decision, not a rule

Rinsing washes away loose surface starch and gives more separate grains, which is what you want for pilaf, biryani or a plain side. Not rinsing keeps that starch, which is what you want for risotto, rice pudding and anything that should be creamy. Soaking, common with basmati, hydrates the grain so it cooks evenly and extends without breaking.

The instruction on the packet usually assumes one particular use, so decide by what you are cooking instead.

Water ratios depend on the method

Absorption methods need a ratio matched to the variety and the pan, since a wide pan loses more steam than a narrow one. Cooking rice in a large volume of water and draining it, like pasta, is forgiving and works well when you are unsure. A tight lid and a rest off the heat let the steam even out, which is why lifting the lid early gives uneven rice.

Brown rice keeps its bran layer, which slows water uptake and requires more liquid and considerably more time.

Beyond the common varieties

Jasmine is aromatic and softer than basmati despite both being long grain, so they are not direct substitutes. Bomba and other paella varieties absorb a great deal of liquid without releasing much starch, which is why paella is not stirred. Parboiled rice has been steamed in the husk, which drives nutrients inward and makes the grains very hard to overcook.

If you are short of time, wild rice is not rice at all but a different grass seed, and cooks more like a grain than like rice.

Substitute freely; the method matters more than the shopping list.

Cooked rice needs specific care

Uncooked rice can carry spores that survive cooking and produce toxins if cooked rice is left at room temperature. That means cooling quickly, refrigerating promptly and reheating thoroughly, and it is the reason rice appears specifically in food safety advice.

Nine times out of ten, storage times and reheating advice differ between countries, so follow your own national food safety guidance rather than a general rule. This is a real risk rather than a cautious one, and it is the main reason to portion rice into shallow containers.

The takeaway

Pick the variety for the texture you want, then decide whether to rinse based on the same question.

Taste it before it leaves the pan. That is most of cooking.