Ricing (cooking)

Ricing is a cooking term meaning to pass food through a food mill or "ricer", which comes in several forms. In the most basic, food is pushed or pressured through a metal or plastic plate with many small holes, producing a smoother result than mashing, but coarser than pureeing or passing through a sieve or tamis. The size of the product produced by ricing is about the same as grains of rice.

A hand-held potato ricer

Potatoes are the most commonly "riced" foods, as in the dish riced potatoes, essentially a smoother version of mashed potatoes. However, other vegetables can be 'riced' in order to provide low glycemic, nutrient-rich vegetable dishes, either cooked or raw, with or without sauces and herbs, or in salads. Cooking artfully 'riced' cauliflower, then mashing it before serving, provides a more health-supporting vegetable dish that resembles mashed potatoes.[1][2]

The potato ricer tool forces vegetables, such as potatoes, through a sheet of small holes. It differs in function somewhat from a food mill, which is larger and not held in one hand.[3]