Glutinous rice is also called sticky rice (which is appropriate) and sweet rice (which isn't).
What is it? Short-grained rice that, when cooked, is extremely sticky; the grains, although separate and distinct, stick to each other. Short-grained rice, commonly eaten in Japan and Korea, looks similar but is not as starchy.
How is it available? As with other types of rice, glutinous rice can be unhulled (brown) or hulled (white). It also comes in purple, black and red varieties. Hulled sticky rice is pounded into a fine flour, which is used to make chewy 'cakes' such as Chinese neen goh or tong yuen, Japanese mochi and Korean tteok. The rice is also made into wine and other alcoholic beverages.
What else? Glutinous-rice flour and plain-rice flour have entirely different uses; don't substitute one for the other. If a recipe doesn't specify which type is required, use plain-rice flour.
How to use: sticky rice is made into the bamboo-leaf-wrapped dumplings commonly eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival and the lotus-leaf-wrapped dim sum item known as nor mei gai (cooked with chicken and mushrooms). This dish is a simplified version of real nor mei gai, which comprises a whole chicken that has been boned without cutting the skin then stuffed with glutinous rice mixed with other savoury ingredients. It's steamed and air-dried before being deep-fried. This was once a popular and extravagant banquet dish, but few restaurants make it any more because it is so labour intensive. The rice can also be made into a dessert known as eight-treasures rice.
Sticky-rice flour is made into round boiled dumplings known as tong yuen. Mix glutinous-rice flour with hot water until it forms a firm, malleable, un-sticky dough. Shape into small balls then boil until the dumplings float to the surface. Serve the tong yuen in sweet soup made by cooking lots of fresh ginger in water then adding rock sugar to taste. You can also serve the drained tong yuen with a dipping mixture of sesame seeds, crushed peanuts and sugar.