# Mike Nelson is Right about Rice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059 "2019-10-20T23:15:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/1 "2019-10-20T23:15:18Z")
On MST3K, there was a vague running gag about Mike liking plain white rice. I guess it was a shot at Mike’s supposed averageness. But I had a combo plate at a Cuban restaurant yesterday that included a large helping of plain white rice. They always include a bowl of black beans to spoon over the rice, but for whatever reason, I forgot to do that, and ate most of the rice plain. And you know what? It was FANTASTIC! It was earthy and chewy and nutty tasting, It must’ve been cooked in water that had been salted to taste like seawater. Each mouthful sang an ode to austerity, saying all this is is rice, but it is enough. It needs no other condiment. To drown this noble simple flavor in gravy and sauces would be a sin. Eat this pure grain, my people. Eat and rejoice in what Uncle Ben or maybe Goya has brought you. It was really good plain rice, is what I’m saying. It’s been awhile since I’ve had somerice that way, and I forgot how good it is. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/2 "2019-10-20T23:55:47Z")
I’m weird: I love sticky rice, the stickier the better. I love lumpy mashed taters, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/3 "2019-10-20T23:59:01Z")
Plain white food can be very good. In Ireland, a boiled, steamed potato is the best part of a plate of bacon and cabbage. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/4 "2019-10-21T00:22:48Z")
Plain white rice is very good food, but I prefer it soaked in a good sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/5 "2019-10-21T00:29:17Z")
Plain rice is good if you get a rice maker and do it right. I grew up on Minute Rice and it was just terrible and boring. Probably the kind of thing they are making fun of Mike for eating. Now, I could just have some real rice and mix in some sriracha and peas and it’s basically a meal. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/6 "2019-10-21T01:28:48Z")
When people complain that food is bland or boring, to me it says they cannot appreciate subtleties. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/7 "2019-10-21T02:36:31Z")
Rice can be OK on its own. Or it can be amazing, as a vehicle for other flavors. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/8 "2019-10-21T04:09:08Z")
THE Mike Nelson? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/9 "2019-10-21T04:36:42Z")
I mean … maybe? I like simplicity, but even with something like bread, give me a smear of butter on it and some salt. Doesn’t have to be fancy, but to really appreciate bread, I feel like I need a little somethin’ extraextra on it. Not much, but just something. I’m kind of the same way with rice. Sure, it’s good like a slice of freshly baked bread is good. But gimme a little fat to go with it. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/10 "2019-10-21T04:45:45Z")
Thinking of “plain white rice” as a monolithic category is akin to thinking of “plain white bread” as a category. The latter could be anything from Wonderbread to a gorgeous sourdough or tartine. At its worst, plain white rice is an abomination. At its best, it is etherial. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/11 "2019-10-21T05:06:24Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Thinking of “plain white rice” as a monolithic category is akin to thinking of “plain white bread” as a category. > > The latter could be anything from Wonderbread to a gorgeous sourdough or tartine. > > At its worst, plain white rice is an abomination. At its best, it is etherial. Well, I think the same of the most exquisite “plain white bread.” A pat of butter and it’s sublime. On its own – it’s fine … but not sublime. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/12 "2019-10-21T12:15:21Z")
> [@Condoleezza Rice](#): > > People are tired of being kept from the dignity that allows them to make their own choices. Things just got meta. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-nelson-is-right-about-rice/842059/13 "2019-10-21T17:40:31Z")
I wouldn’t call Condoleezza Rice plain or white. 🙂