Sticky rice isn’t just a description of how the rice cooks up. It’s a unique rice variety, like basmati or jasmine rice. Without diving too deep into food science, the basic idea is all rice varieties contain two types of starch—amylopectin and amylose—that work together to determine the finished dish’s texture. Sticky rice has an unusually high amount of amylopectin and is very low in amylose, helping the grains stick together as they cook.