The word tahdig is derived from the Persian words "tah" and "dig" which means "bottom" and "pot". The dish is an Iranian speciality wherein the rice is left to cook until brown and crispy, creating a truly unique texture. Tahdig is commonly made by boiling the rice until half cooked, then adding extra fat or oil in the bottom of the pot and letting it steam for a couple of minutes. Other recipes also call for placing a flat lavash bread or laying down thinly sliced potatoes between the rice and the pot to achieve clean and easy removal. Yoghurt, curry spices, and saffron are also often added to the rice for flavour.

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Bibimbap is one of the most popular rice dishes in Korea. It is a bowl of rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) or kimchi (traditional fermented vegetables), gochujang (a popular Korean chilli paste), and soy sauce. It is served steaming hot with a raw or fried egg on top.

Though now recognisable across the world, bibimbap is actually fairly a young recipe inspired by goldongban, a popular Korean dish from 14th to 16th centuries. Goldongban was considered as a form of ritual wherein participants combine all of what is left in their pantries at the year's end in a large bowl, producing an absolute feast.

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Sushi is widely popular among many countries, and we have Japan to thank for it. The concept of sushi is actually believed to originate from China, designed as a strategy to preserve fish through fermentation. Today sushi-making has turned into a true art form, perfected by sushi-masters. Every grain of rice, every slice of fish and each detail is heavily scrutinised and much appreciated. 

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Xôi ngũ sắc is a beautiful five-coloured rice dish from Vietnam. It is a very interesting and festive dish that is both sweet and savoury. Xôi ngũ sắc gets its striking colours from the fresh extracts of a variety of leaves and fruits: purple from magenta plant leaves, green from pandan leaves, red from gấc fruits, yellow from mung beans, and white from the glutinous rice. 

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Biryani is a one-dish meal that is incredibly popular in India. The term biriyani came from the Persian word "birinj biriyan" which means fried rice. It is made with basmati rice, various Indian spices, yoghurt, meat, vegetables, and sometimes eggs. The long-grain basmati rice is perfect as it is the least sticky among the common rice grains. 

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Nasi goreng is widely popular in Indonesian households. It translates to "fried rice" and is prepared with rice, kecap manis (Indonesian soy sauce), belacan or terasi (shrimp paste), shallots, and garlic. Other recipes also call for meats such as chicken, beef, and prawn. 

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Risotto is a well-loved dish all over the world. It is believed to originate from the rich lands of the Lombardy region and soon grew popular in Milan. It is a slow-cooked rice dish usually made with stock, butter, onions, white wine, and parmesan. One of its most popular forms, the risotto alla Milanese, is cooked with saffron to add a rich golden hue. Italians adore this dish so much that they have even launched the annual Festa Nazionale Del Risotto Italiano (National Festival Of Italian Risotto), bringing together dozens of chefs to present hundreds of creations celebrating the dish.

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There is no denying that Filipinos adore rice, so much so that we have countless dishes that use rice as the main ingredient. One of the most popular dishes among the provinces and the metro is the colourful sapin-sapin. According to Doreen Fernandez, author of Tikim: On Philippine Food and Culture, sapin-sapin and suman have arguably strong indigenous roots, as provinces have many variants of this dessert.

Sapin-sapin, as its name suggests, is a layered rice snack that is made with rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar. Food colouring is added to each layer to distinguish each of its flavours such as ube, coconut, and jackfruit. It is topped with latik, a sweet mixture of caramelised coconut flakes.

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An incredibly hearty dish, paella is widely popular throughout Spain, but especially so in the Valencia region where it originated. Paella is named after the traditional wide-mouthed, shallow pan that is used to create the rice dish. Paella Valenciana usually consists of round grain rice, garlic, saffron, bajoqueta and tavella (varieties of green beans), rabbit, chicken, and sometimes duck or snails.

Due to its popularity and versatile nature, there are now multiple versions of paellas from paella marinara, paella negra, paella mixto, and even vegan paella.

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A staple in Taiwanese cuisine, lu rou fan is a rice bowl topped with heavenly braised or minced pork. The topping is usually made with minced pork belly and sometimes pork neck. The meat is fried to perfection and is then sautéed with soya sauce, sugar, stock, rice wine, pepper, and deep-fried shallots. It is served sitting atop a steaming bowl of rice.

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