Sticky or Lazy?

For a long time I used to think that sticky rice was cooked by lazy people.
How could you let rice cook so long, that it became that sticky and what was enjoyable about rice that you couldn't seperate easily with a fork.
Well, in Laos I have dicovered why sticky rice is so good. First off, it tastes nice. That helps obviously, but I've found it to be a grower and now I have to have it every day. It's just a little bit different tasting to normal rice, its really hard to articulate the taste, maybe its a bit sweeter? Its definately more chewy!
What I really like about sticky rice though, is that its practical.
I would watch people buying chicken on a stick through the bus window thinking, mmmmm chicken, mmmm flies and then I spotted what else they were buying, yup, sticky rice in a bag. Its so easy to eat on the go, you just grab a little bit off and roll it into a ball, then pop it into your mouth with said chicken and hopefuly no flies. Its so simple and tasty, sad I know, but its really captured my imagination and tastebuds. It always arrives in a little basket, even in Brighton and you just grab a bit and dunk it, like bread into whatever you're eating. It really soaks up any juices on your plate without falling apart like normal rice. I'm investing in some cheap as chips Laos rice baskets at the next available market and you're all welcome round for some sticky fun in 2007 :)

Making sticky rice:

First you need to buy some glutinous or sweet rice. Thats probably the tricky part, but I'm sure that Taj in Brighton would sell it and maybe some supermarkets?
No other rice will do, so don't bother otherwise.

Soak the rice in water for 4 hours.

Then steam it for 1/2 hour and whallah, sticky rice :)

Actually it might even be a bit more technical than that, so heres some websites that tell you more detail and to remind me when I get home.

Import food.com
AsiaRecipe.com
Thaifoodandtravel.com