Rice is cooked by boiling or steaming, and in the process of cooking it absorbs significant amounts of water. In Asia and Latin America popularity have achieved electrical rice cookers, which facilitate the cooking process.
Sometimes prior to cooking rice is fried briefly, and thus it becomes less sticky. Another treatment of rice before cooking is soaking in water, which reduces cooking time and this also reduces stickiness of cooked rice. In certain varieties soaking improves the texture of cooked rice, and increases the size of the grains.
Brown rice can be cooked after prolonged soaking in warm water (for about 20 hours), so that the grains can germinate. Thus certain enzymes are activated in the grains and a more complete profile of amino acids is obtained.
Rice can be an ingredient of various soups and dishes with fish and meat. It is also used to stuff vegetables or cabbage leaves, and combined with milk, sugar and honey it makes various desserts.