Mediterranean Restaurants Swear By One Rice For Their Signature Dishes

Mediterranean food is a veritable array of flavors. Between diverse and colorful ingredients, iconic dishes, and a hearty supply of spices, it's tough not to find something to love about the cuisine from this region. But with so many staples and flavors to account for, it can be good to have one ingredient on-hand that you can count on as a go-to base for several dishes. In the case of Mediterranean food, there's one kind of rice that stands above the rest.

Chowhound recently spoke exclusively with Jilbert El-Zmetr, chef and founder of Laziza (@funkylaziza on Instagram), a Brooklyn-based restaurant specializing in enticing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. When asked what kind of rice he prefers to use in his traditional dishes, he wasted no time in saying that basmati is the grain of choice. "It's quite a loose grain and isn't as dense as some of the other rice types available like jasmine," El-Zmetr says. Especially when you avoid common prep mistakes with basmati rice, using this particular grain will give you a fluffy yet toothsome texture that perfectly suits the various dishes in your Mediterranean recipe collection.

No one wants a bland and boring bowl of rice — that's why there are so many great ways to season it. But what about when it comes to seasoning rice the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern way? Chef Jilbert El-Zmetr also divulged some wisdom when it comes to this question, but the answer isn't so black and white, especially considering the vast geographical and cultural differences across the Mediterranean and Middle East.

"Every country through the Middle East has its own take on a steamed rice preparation," El-Zmetr says. "Some prefer simply salted, others use saffron and turmeric whilst some of the Levantine countries cook the rice in a vegetable or meat broth to bring through some of the warmer flavors together with carraway, cardamom for added fragrance." No matter how you choose to season your basmati, though, be sure to season your rice at the right time and avoid the big mistakes that prevent perfect rice. With those pitfalls avoided and El-Zmetr's advice followed, scrumptious Mediterranean rice will be yours in no time.