# Food Terminology Q : The Al Dente Scourge

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-terminology-q-the-al-dente-scourge/640109>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 6, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-terminology-q-the-al-dente-scourge/640109 "2012-11-06T17:41:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-terminology-q-the-al-dente-scourge/640109/41 "2012-11-07T19:28:34Z")

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> [@CandidGamera](#):
>
> Sarcasm? On the internet? How innovative.

As others have surmised, there was no sarcasm in my post. I really do like my pasta and rice “over” cooked as much as possible. I really do strive to duplicate my elementary school cafeteria rice, though, since I tend to use brown rice and whole wheat pasta these days, I really, really have to boil the shit out of it to even approach the ideal, yet very difficult to attain, ice-cream scooper level.

With rice, one trick I’ve found for maximum stickiness is to never rinse the rice before cooking, like they tell you to.

ETA: PS: I do my spaghetti the same way, there is no maximum boiling time, just a minimum.

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**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-terminology-q-the-al-dente-scourge/640109/42 "2012-11-07T19:30:51Z")

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**The Al Dente Scourge.** Band name rights hereby claimed.

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**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-terminology-q-the-al-dente-scourge/640109/43 "2012-11-07T19:34:07Z")

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> [@voltaire](#):
>
> As others have surmised, there was no sarcasm in my post. I really do like my pasta and rice “over” cooked as much as possible. I really do strive to duplicate my elementary school cafeteria rice, though, since I tend to use brown rice and whole wheat pasta these days, I really, really have to boil the shit out of it to even approach the ideal, yet very difficult to attain, ice-cream scooper level.
> 
> With rice, one trick I’ve found for maximum stickiness is to never rinse the rice before cooking, like they tell you to.
> 
> ETA: PS: I do my spaghetti the same way, there is no maximum boiling time, just a minimum.

Then you have my apology. I’d had enough of the snarky food snobbery in this thread, and mistook your intent.

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**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-terminology-q-the-al-dente-scourge/640109/44 "2012-11-07T20:09:51Z")

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> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#):
>
> **The Al Dente Scourge.** Band name rights hereby claimed.

I was visualizing Chef Boyardee with a cat-o-nine-tails made of spaghetti with just enough firmness to leave a mark.

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