If you like to explore the foods of the world, then you like rice. The ancient Sanskrit word for rice translates as sustainer of the human race. Today the little grain plays just as big a role: More than half of the world's cuisines are shaped around rice.

As sublime and elemental as a steaming bowl of plain rice might be, rice really comes alive in its more robust and complex uses. Of these there is a glorious abundance—pilafs from the Mediterranean and Middle East, curries from India and the Caribbean, stir-fries from East Asia, risottos from Italy, and more. Robin Robertson shows how to cook to perfection every variety of rice, from simple white and hearty brown to fragrant basmati and elegant jasmine, and she reveals, in 100 splendid recipes, how spices, seasonings, and a wealth of tasty ingredients combine with rice for terrific one-dish dinners that are easy to make and a pleasure to eat.

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