Far from home

Not a full paella — the saffron-paprika base you wish jarred stock tasted of. A pinch of rosemary. The rice comes out gold, not yellow dye.

Whole spices, not a curry powder. The rice should smell of a proper dum pot even if you cooked it in a lidded saucepan on a Tuesday.

Sweet-savoury North African warmth. Cinnamon is a background, not a pudding. Rice that wants a handful of herbs and a spoon of yoghurt.

Creamy without cream. Toasted coconut and lime leaf go in with the steam, so the grains pick up the fat and the perfume together.

A Japanese rice seasoning, timed for the pot instead of the table. The nori blooms in the steam; sesame stays nutty.