When I met my husband, an avid rice eater, he taught me that Asians do not butter their rice (and never eat Uncle Ben's or Minute Rice). In fact, such a thing is considered sacrilege, so I have spent the last 20+ years of my life eating my white rice unbuttered. It's healthier and I've gotten used to it.
However, I must admit to the occasional cheat. Sometimes, when we are having a non-Asian meal, such as pork chops or chicken, I sneak a little pad of butter* onto my rice. My family has always looked at me like I am a circus freak when I do this. "Butter on rice? How strange. Why would you do that?"
Then they all watch me eat it, heads cocked in curiousity, as if I am a cannibal eating a finger. "How interesting. She seems to like it."
Recently, my oldest daughter has discovered that she kind of likes butter* on rice from time to time too. I mean, let's face it, anything acting as a butter delivery system can't be all bad. My husband was not happy with this development and I could almost hear her Asian ancestors rolling over in their graves at the sight.
But, it made me wonder.
I have spent the last 22 years of my life coupled with an Asian man, adopting some Asian culinary ways. I can honestly say that I no longer know if any families, white or otherwise, still butter their rice. And perhaps, my family was the only family in American that buttered their rice in the 70s? Do other people remember buttering their rice? Were we an anomaly?
Please discuss.
*butter in our house is not usually actual butter but Olivio a healthier, non-dairy alternative because the Asians in my house don't process dairy very well. So, saying we "butter" our rice is not entirely accurate but sounds infinitely better than we "Olivio" our rice.
