Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding Deserves A Rewrite
Maybe it's the contrast: soft grain and silken cream, subtle spice and sugar, the kind of texture that doesn't photograph well but still feels like velvet on the tongue. It's not flashy or fussy. It doesn't ask for attention. But spoonful by spoonful, it earns it.
For years, rice pudding has lived in the culinary shadows—dismissed as dated, basic, too humble to be craveable. But the world knew better all along. From India to Istanbul to the American South, this dish has been reworked, reimagined, and revered for generations. The real twist? It's trending again, and this time, with teeth.
At its core, rice pudding is elemental: milk, rice, and sugar. That base travels effortlessly across borders and seasons. In warm months, it's best eaten cold, maybe with cardamom and stone fruit, or a slosh of coconut milk and lime zest. In winter, it's baked into rich, custardy form—sometimes scorched on top like in Turkey's fırın sütlaç, or simmered stovetop until spoon-coatingly thick. In both forms, it's cozy. But it can also be unexpectedly seductive.
Take the iconic rice pudding at L'Ami Jean in Paris. Chef Stéphane Jégo's take is a revered classic, rich and creamy, served warm and finished with a cinnamon dusting. It's the kind of dessert that captures Parisian rusticity but with a bold personality, earning praise in Forbes Dining's guide to Paris's best bistros. It's a perfect example of how rice pudding transcends clichés, becoming a dish that's both familiar and thrilling.
Chefs are catching on everywhere. At Sofreh in Brooklyn, rice pudding arrives as a perfumed, golden-hued homage to Persian sholezard. At Dhamaka, it's dressed in jaggery and saffron, almost sticky in its decadence. TikTok is catching up too—black rice pudding with salted coconut cream, brûléed rice pudding with flaky sea salt, horchata-inspired pudding with cinnamon toast crunch on top.
The appeal? It's endlessly adaptable, surprisingly sensual, and criminally underrated. There's no off-season for it. No 'right' version. Just a blank, creamy canvas waiting for you to make it yours.
Here's how to make rice pudding that delivers:
1. Toast your rice first.
Yes, even if it's arborio or jasmine. A dry toast in the pan before adding liquid adds nutty depth and keeps things from turning gluey.
2. Salt it. Generously.
Rice pudding without salt can never reach its symphonic potential. It'll be fine, but forgettable. Salt brings out the depth of vanilla, the cream, and the sweetness. Don't skip it.
3. Infuse your dairy.
Instead of just pouring in milk, warm it first with aromatics: cardamom pods, citrus peel, bay leaf, star anise, even a bruised sprig of basil. Steep and strain before adding rice.
4. Mix your milks.
Try half coconut milk, half whole. Or blend sweetened condensed with evaporated for Latin American lushness. Or oat milk with heavy cream for a lighter-but-still-luxurious feel.
5. Don't stop at sugar.
Add depth with brown sugar, jaggery, maple syrup, date molasses, or even miso.
6. Finish like it's a cocktail.
Think toppings: macerated berries, candied nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, a hit of lime zest. Rice pudding loves contrast.
It's time to retire the idea that rice pudding is just for grandmas and hospital trays. It's global, it's gorgeous, and it's having a very real moment. When made right, it's the kind of dessert that doesn't just satisfy, it seduces.
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