Rice is basically a starch sponge. When it’s hot, those starch molecules are all clingy and wet. As it cools and dries, the molecules tighten up. They lock the moisture inside the grain.
This is called “retrogradation.” Fancy word, right? It means the rice becomes firm on the outside, but still tender inside. When you fry it, the outside crisps up like a tiny, delicate armor.
So you’re not just making dinner. You’re performing culinary physics. You’re a starch scientist with a spatula.
