Glutinous rice is the same thing as sticky rice, also called sweet rice. It cooks into chewy grains that cling together, so it's used for mango sticky rice, lo mai gai and zongzi. Glutinous rice flour is the same rice ground into a fine flour, used for tang yuan, mochi and many Asian sweets. Despite the name, glutinous rice doesn't contain gluten: "glutinous" means glue-like.
Quick answers
- Sticky rice vs glutinous rice: the same thing. Sweet rice is another name for it.
- Gluten: glutinous rice doesn't contain gluten. The name describes its sticky texture.
- Cooking: it's usually soaked, then steamed. Follow the instructions on your pack.
- The flour: glutinous rice flour and ordinary rice flour aren't interchangeable. One turns soft and stretchy; the other sets firm.
What is glutinous rice?
Glutinous rice (糯米) is a type of rice with a different starch from everyday rice. When it's cooked, the grains turn translucent, chewy and very sticky. In Thailand it's called khao niao, and it's eaten with the hands alongside grilled meat and salads in the north and north-east. In China it's the rice for festival foods such as zongzi. In Japan it's mochigome, the rice that mochi is made from.
It's also stickier than sushi rice. Sushi rice is a non-glutinous rice that holds together in a roll; glutinous rice is far chewier. See how to make sushi rice.
Does glutinous rice contain gluten?
No. "Glutinous" describes the sticky, glue-like texture of the cooked rice. It has nothing to do with gluten, and rice itself contains no gluten. If you avoid gluten for medical reasons, check the allergen information on each pack, as we can't speak for how every brand is milled and packed.
White glutinous rice to buy
- Royal Umbrella Thai glutinous rice 10kg, our best-selling glutinous rice over the past year, also in 1kg, 2kg and 5kg bags
- Pink Lotus Cambodian glutinous rice 10kg
- Green Dragon AAA Thai glutinous rice 2kg
- Golden Phoenix (Hong Thong) white glutinous rice 5kg
Black glutinous rice
Black glutinous rice keeps its dark outer layer, so it cooks up purple-black, with a nutty taste and more bite. In South East Asia it's mostly used for sweet dishes, such as black sticky rice pudding with coconut milk. We stock Sandee black glutinous rice 1kg and X.O black glutinous rice 1kg.
How to cook glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is usually soaked in cold water first, often overnight, then steamed rather than boiled. Steaming keeps the grains whole and chewy; boiling in lots of water can turn it into a paste. Follow the instructions on your pack for soaking and cooking times.
- Rinse the rice in cold water.
- Soak it in fresh cold water, for as long as your pack suggests.
- Drain it well.
- Steam it in a steamer lined with muslin or a clean, damp cloth, until the grains are soft and translucent.
For Thai mango sticky rice, the cooked rice is then mixed with sweetened coconut milk and served with ripe mango.
Ready-made glutinous rice dishes
- Royal Gourmet mini glutinous rice (珍珠雞), our best-selling glutinous rice product over the past year. See the full Royal Gourmet dim sum range.
- Kam Kee glutinous rice with chicken (糯米雞, lo mai gai) 500g, from Kam Kee
- Royal Gourmet glutinous rice rolls (糯米蒸花卷)
- Chang frozen sticky rice with banana and with taro, two Thai sweets
Heat frozen and chilled dishes until they're piping hot all the way through, following the pack.
What is glutinous rice flour?
Glutinous rice flour (糯米粉) is glutinous rice ground into a fine, white flour. Many Chinese and Thai packs say 水磨, or "water-milled": the rice is ground with water, then dried, which gives a very smooth flour. Mixed with water, it makes a soft, stretchy dough that turns chewy when it's cooked.
It's the flour for:
- Tang yuan: Chinese glutinous rice balls, often filled with black sesame or peanut and served in a sweet soup
- Mochi and daifuku: Japanese rice cakes, often wrapped around sweet red bean paste
- Bua loy: small Thai rice balls in warm coconut milk
- many other sweets across South East Asia
We stock Rose Brand glutinous rice flour 500g, our best-selling glutinous rice flour over the past year, plus Foo Lung Ching Kee Co. 450g, X.O 500g, Chewy 600g and UP Thai 454g. See all our flours.
Short of time? Spring Home frozen sesame tang yuan are ready to cook; follow the pack.
Glutinous rice flour vs rice flour
They aren't interchangeable. Ordinary rice flour is made from non-glutinous rice and sets firmer and less stretchy. It's used for things like cheung fun and rice noodles. Glutinous rice flour cooks soft and chewy. Swapping one for the other changes the texture completely, so use the flour your recipe names. See our guide to cheung fun.
What is cooked glutinous rice flour?
Cooked glutinous rice flour (熟糯米粉) has already been cooked, so it doesn't need cooking again. It's used where a recipe asks for it by name, such as snow skin mooncakes, and for dusting. Try Rose Brand cooked glutinous rice flour 500g.
Ordering glutinous rice online
Rice and flour go by standard DHL delivery, with free mainland UK delivery on orders over £75. Frozen dishes travel in temperature-controlled packaging, with a £5.50 fresh and frozen surcharge charged once per order. We can't send frozen items to the Scottish Highlands and Islands or the Isles of Scilly. See our delivery details, or browse our glutinous rice and full rice ranges.
Glutinous rice FAQs
Is glutinous rice the same as sticky rice?
Yes. Glutinous rice, sticky rice and sweet rice are all names for the same type of rice.
Does glutinous rice contain gluten?
No. "Glutinous" describes its glue-like, sticky texture, not gluten. If you avoid gluten for medical reasons, check the allergen information on the pack.
Can I use glutinous rice flour instead of rice flour?
Not as a straight swap. Glutinous rice flour cooks soft and stretchy, while ordinary rice flour sets firmer. Use the flour your recipe names.
How do you cook glutinous rice?
Rinse it, soak it in cold water (often overnight), drain it, then steam it until soft and translucent. Follow your pack for times.
What is glutinous rice flour used for?
Chewy sweets such as tang yuan, mochi, daifuku and Thai bua loy.
Where can I buy glutinous rice flour in the UK?
At Tuk Tuk Mart. We stock glutinous rice flour from Rose Brand, Foo Lung Ching Kee Co., X.O, Chewy and UP, plus white and black glutinous rice, sent by DHL from our Manchester Asian supermarket, rated 4.9/5 from over 2,700 verified reviews.