What kind of rice gives Filipino paelya its soft, sticky texture?

Filipino paelya gets its soft, sticky texture from glutinous rice, called malagkit in Tagalog. Unlike ordinary rice, glutinous rice contains very little amylose and becomes notably cohesive when cooked.

Paelya is a Philippine adaptation of Valencian paella, but it is not simply a Spanish recipe copied unchanged. Filipino versions use local ingredients and may combine glutinous rice with regular rice in different proportions. Some cooks also use heirloom varieties such as Ifugao tinawon, while imported long-grain rice can appear in modern versions.

The texture is one of the clearest differences from traditional Spanish paella, where cooks generally seek separate, firm grains and may prize a crisp socarrat at the bottom. Filipino paelya is often colored with annatto, turmeric, or safflower rather than saffron, and it may include chicken, pork, seafood, sausages, vegetables, calamansi, and sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Jasmine rice is a possible supporting ingredient in some versions, but it is not the rice responsible for the characteristic stickiness described in the question.