
For me, rice pudding isn’t just a dessert; it’s perhaps one of those childhood memories that fills me with a deep sense of nostalgia. I remember that my mom would sometimes make rice pudding for snack time when we didn’t have anything else to eat. Back then, it was something you could make with very few ingredients, but nowadays it’s practically a luxury because of the high cost of milk… However, I’ve always had trouble making rice pudding. My mom’s always turns out spectacular without needing to use much milk, but in my case, it never turns out right, even though I use plenty of milk to try to achieve that rich flavor my mom’s has.

And I tried making it using her own recipe—she sent me step-by-step voice messages—but it never turns out right for me, and this time was no exception. I mean… It did turn out right this time, but I had to use half a kilo of milk, hahaha, no exaggeration. I usually cook a lot of rice, and maybe that’s why it used to turn out wrong, so this time I decided to measure the rice using a smaller cup than I usually do, and I also just used one cup of rice and three cups of water. I let the rice cook as usual over high heat until it got soft; in my case, it didn’t get soft quickly, so I had to add another half cup of water. Keep in mind, too, that I used rice that isn’t the best quality, and that worked against me a bit when cooking the rice.

When it was finally soft, I prepared the milk, making it very, very thin—I used almost 400 grams on the first try… Then I added the milk to the rice and let it cook for a while; I also added sugar and a little vanilla. The thing is, after a while I tasted the rice and it tasted like NOTHING—it was as if my taste buds had died—so I took a little milk from the mixture and added 100 more grams of milk, using up half a kilo for just 1 cup of rice… It’s unbelievable, but it still tasted like nothing. However, I gave up since I couldn’t use any more milk.

After it cooked through this last time, I tasted it again and it was really good. It seems like the milk thickened more and the flavor was great, but I don't think I'll make rice pudding again knowing I'll have to use half a kilo of milk ☹. I wish I could make it right without using so much. It turned out pretty good despite all the difficulties, and I served it with a little cinnamon, and we enjoyed this delicious dessert.


