When the package says “add half a teaspoon of butter” or whatever, it’s just straight up lying to you. There is literally ZERO perceivable difference between instant rice made with only water, and instant rice made with water plus a little butter. I’ve tested this myself. If you think the half-teaspoon of butter does some kind of fancy chemistry thing that’s necessary for the instant rice to do its thing… No. The butter literally doesn’t do anything. Absolutely nothing. Zilch. The package literally just tells you to add butter because market analytics show that if the package tells you the truth — that you really only need to add water — people will be biased to think it’s a “worse product”. So the butter is literally a placebo! Just a placebo, nothing more! And the same also goes for an enormous amount of instant foods that tell you to just add water plus, very conveniently, exactly one Extra Ingredient™!
How fucking many cows had their boobs fondled all because instant food companies noticed a slight increase in sales if they lied on their packaging? Hell, even for those who used margarine, how much margarine did you end up wasting on a literal placebo? How many teaspoons did you have to wash for no reason?
What the fuck
You’re supposed to add the butter to the rice after it’s already cooked.
Make two pieces of toast, butter one, and try to tell me they taste the same.
I think Betty Crocker (or its parent company) did market research in the 50s and found out that people felt guilty for the mix that you just had to rehydrate, it felt extra artificial and removed and like they had no part in it. They fixed this and secured market dominance with their response, the “Just add an egg” formulation. Crack and whisk an egg amd atir it in, and it feels like you’re taking part in making it.
IIRC this comes up in The Century of the Self.
I wonder if its like with the packaged cake mixes and stuff.
When your using those pre packaged mixes the whole “add two eggs and 4 tablespoons of butter” is completely unnecessary but when they sold the packages as “just add water” people didn’t feel like they were cooking.
Wonder if rice is the same way, people like doing that little extra step to feel like they’re contributing, kinda like when you have a child poor the milk into you’re batter and tell them they’re helping.
Nah, you need emulsifiers and stuff and those aren’t easily packaged with the baking mixes. So the eggs are usually necessary
No, they literally aren’t. Powdered eggs exist and its what was originally used. Congratualtions on proving the marketing department correct and showing how malleable the average consumer is.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
the butter is good though
Hell, even for those who used margarine, how much margarine did you end up wasting on a literal placebo?
margarine IS GOOD TO ME
Tiny bit of sesame oil and MSG is peak rice making.
