what do chinese resturants add to the white rice to give it that aroma?

They use jasmine rice, or if it's fried rice, that aroma is toasted sesame oil, which gives it a characteristic "Chinese" type aroma. Enjoy!!!

You can find both jasmine rice and toasted sesame oil (which you just use a DROP or two, and that's it...) in the Asian or International section of your better stocked large grocery stores.....

Christopher

They don't add anything to the rice. They use good jasmine rice and they cook it in a traditional rice cooker. That's why their rice smells good.

it's the kind of rice...probably. Thais do Jasmine rice, Indians do Basmati rice...

I cook with both jasmin and basmati rice. the flavor of the rice itself gives it the aroma.

There are at least two very aromatic rices, that need nothing added in order to smell tantalizingly delicious. Jasmine rice, and Basmati rice.

Don't expect the aroma to be there if you use American Basmati. Get the Indian variety, from the Himalayas.

It's likely the rice itself. Rice is often softly fragrant, and varieties used in ethic cuisine often is a fragrant variety. The US is fond of super processed rice, which makes it not very sticky, which we like, but also makes it less nutritious, flavorful, and less aroma. Uncle Bens won't smell like much, but if you get any less-processed rice, you'll notice more of a scent. I love cooking a local store's brown and wild rice mix -- no seasonings at all, but it has a lovely subtle smell.

The white rice you have at a Chinese restaurant is Jasmin rice. The aroma is from the rice. They did not add any thing on it.

Actually, the white rice already has its own aroma.
Really! I'm a chinese myself-I eat it everyday! But there are different ways the chinese cook their rice.
-with brown oyster sauce
-onion, garlic
-plain
-sesame oil


But we don't use cinnamon or pepper. Those originated from the westerners.

I used to live with a girl who added some jasmin extract (sorry, can't be more precise) to white rice and it smelled lovely

They do not put anything on white rice. White rice is rice without anything. It would not be white rice if there is anything on it.
I guess the aroma comes from the accompaniments.(chicken, fish, whatever)