[PetitPrince]

So rice. Out of the plant, rice is not that white grain we're used to see. It has a protective layer (called bran). It has all kind of nice nutrient in it, but also contains quite a lot of oil and can go rancid. So for conservation purpose, it's usually removed. The way it's removed is by grinding it until we get to that white layer we all know.

Now this white layer is mostly starch. And by grinding the grain up to this white layer, you necessarily make a lot of microscopic starch powder (I'm simplifying).

When you rinse the rice, you remove this microscopic powder. So when cooking, it cannot gelatinize and provide that creamy (... or goopy, depending on your point of view) texture.

Note that this preference depends on the cuisine, cultivar and even recipe. As other mentioned, risotto is supposed to be creamy, banh chung is held together by magic, pilaf have distinct grains, etc...

[tanseydavid]

You explained that very clearly, and I am grateful for that.