Is washing rice really still necessary?

Summary by Krater

An exploration of whether to wash rice before cooking, examining the history, hygiene benefits, and culinary effects of washing versus not washing, concluding that washing is useful for achieving fluffy Asian-style medium-grain white rice and removing surface debris, but unnecessary or counterproductive for other styles and purposes.

From the video

Answers: Should you wash rice before cooking it?

• Washing rice before cooking
• Rice milling and starch chemistry
• Arsenic in rice
• Rice fortification methods

What it concludes

• Washing rice removes fine particulate contamination and gives you the opportunity to inspect the rice for gross objects.
• Washing rice thoroughly removes free starch, which prevents cooked rice grains from clumping and results in fluffier rice.
• Washing rice has little to no effect on removing inorganic arsenic, whereas boiling rice like pasta and draining it is an effective removal method.
• Milling removes most micronutrients from rice, and while processors enrich white rice with vitamins and minerals, washing fortified rice can wash away those water-soluble nutrients.