7 Traditional Rice Dishes Around The World

By Niveditha Kalyanaraman

October 14th, 2023

Image Credit: Unsplash

Rice can be used for your breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and everything in-between. So, when it comes to versatility, rice is your answer. Here are 7 traditional rice dishes around the world.

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Rijsttaart : Belgium

The Rijsttaart is a Belgium rice pie that is eaten for breakfast or as a dessert. The dish is a creamy baked rice pudding that is homed within a soft pie crust.

Image Credit: Inner Sparkle

Zucchini Flowers : Greece

Stuffed zucchini flowers is a traditional offering, both in the home and at hospitality venues. In replacement of a mixture of cheese, the traditional zucchini flowers offering is filled with a medium grain rice and herbs. The tasty filling is created with the combination of cooked rice and crushed tomatoes and is spiced with dill, mint and cumin.

Image Credit: Sweet Savory and Steph

Fried Rice : China

Consisting of onions, shallots, scallions and garlic that are added for flavour, along with soy sauce, oyster sauce and a range of spices, it is often served as a side or eaten by itself. This traditional Chinese meal is an easy and inexpensive addition to any menu – and it is certainly a favourite amongst many.

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Biriyani : India

This main course dish is commonly made with a range of meats (chicken, goat, lamb or fish), egg, nuts, fried fruits and potatoes, along with the combination of Indian spices.

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Nasi Goreng : Indonesia

It’s a simple dish, that consists of stir fried vegetables combined with jasmine rice and spiced with kecap manis. It has a range of aromatic, smoky flavours that are created from the caramelised sweet soy sauce and shrimp paste.

Image Credit: Kitchen Sanctuary

Paella : Spain

This dish consists of bomba rice, green beans, rabbit, chicken, butter bean and sometimes snails and artichoke hearts. It’s traditionally cooked with various spices such as saffron and paprika, as well as olive oil and whole rosemary.

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Arancini : Italy

Arancinis are rice balls, commonly made with arborio rice, that are coated with fine breadcrumbs and then deep-fried to create their crispy texture. Traditionally from the south of Italy, the common street food comes in different sizes, shapes and fillings.

Image Credit: The Mediterranean Dish