heating it up to the gelation temperature
again. Rice is easily softened by reheating to
160ºF/70ºC or above, either with a little added
water in a pot or in the microwave oven, or
fried to make fried rice, rice cakes, or
croquettes.
Keeping Rice Safe Cooked rice turns out to
be a potential source of food poisoning. Raw
rice almost always carries dormant spores of
the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which produces
powerful gastrointestinal toxins. The spores
can tolerate high temperatures, and some
survive cooking. If cooked rice is left for a
few hours at room temperature, the spores
germinate, bacteria multiply, and toxins
accumulate. Ordinary cooked rice should
therefore be served promptly, and leftovers
refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth. The
rice in Japanese sushi is served at room
temperature, but the surface of its cooked
grains are coated with a flavorful and