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
Cute of you to think I’m only putting in a half teaspoon of butter into anything.
this is my teaspoon for measuring butter
I don’t know what instant rice is, but a lot of “recipes” in the US are basically combining pre-processed ingredients and purposely adding extra steps so people will feel like they did something.
it’s kind of similar to the IKEA model of providing a kit for people to assemble furniture and, afterward, feeling increased satisfaction for having accomplished something and internalizing the sense that they built the furniture… only, with industrial food “preparing” it’s remarkably more pathetic.
if you told people to “just add water” it would break the illusion.
it’s kind of similar to the IKEA model of providing a kit for people to assemble furniture and, afterward, feeling increased satisfaction for having accomplished something and internalizing the sense that they built the furniture
I don’t think that’s why IKEA furniture needs to be assembled. If you’ve ever tried to move a piece of pre-assembled IKEA furniture, you’ll know why it comes in pieces. There’s a reason people value hardwood. It doesn’t disintegrate as soon as you put pressure on it in the wrong direction.
if you told people to “just add water” it would break the illusion.
The illusion that butter tastes good?
of course it’s not “why”. same reason they don’t package water with your instant rice: it’s a cost savings strategy first. what we are discussing is how this strategy is turned into a value-add through marketing.
literally a discussed phenomenon: https://www.leidenpsychologyblog.nl/articles/the-ikea-effect-the-feel-good-factor-of-self-assembly
Does the paper discuss the Feel Bad Effect of having to throw away your desk every time you move apartments, because it is impossible to disassemble and transport?
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.
People but butter in their rice?
I’ve only ever used rice cookers
It’s the same with eggs and cake mix…
Apparently, mere water doesn’t cut out the same feeling for DIY baking as well so the fresh egg was required there to imitate that…
Chili oil > butter
There’s definitely a noticeable difference if you put more than that, try more like 1 tablespoon (15mL) per half cup (120mL) uncooked rice
… need to? this is a get to kind of situation
Tiny bit of sesame oil and MSG is peak rice making.
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:
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.
That is what you should do if you want buttered rice, but that’s also not what it says on the package.
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
