The Greek dessert that is a creamy rice pudding flavored with cinnamon is rizogalo. Its name combines the Greek words for rice (ryzi) and milk (gala), the two ingredients at its heart.
Rizogalo is usually made by simmering rice slowly in milk with sugar until the grains soften and their starch thickens the mixture. Vanilla and cinnamon are common flavorings; cinnamon may be stirred in or sprinkled over the top. It can be prepared on the stovetop or baked, then served warm or chilled.
The dessert belongs to the large family of rice puddings found across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, but its milk-and-cinnamon profile is strongly associated with Greek home cooking. It is sometimes confused with galaktoboureko, a custard pie wrapped in filo pastry, or with halva, a denser sweet made from ingredients such as semolina, tahini, or nuts. Rizogalo is defined by its spoonable rice-and-milk texture.