Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar. Such desserts are found on many continents, especially Asia where rice is a staple. Some variants are thickened only with the rice starch; others include eggs, making them a kind of custard. Rice pudding around the world Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. The dessert can be boiled or baked. Different types of pudding vary depending on preparation methods and the selected ingredients. The following ingredients are usually found in rice puddings: rice; white rice (usually short-grain, but can also be long-grain, broken rice, basmati, or jasmine rice), brown rice, or black rice milk (whole milk, coconut milk, cream or evaporated) spices (cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or others) flavorings and toppings (vanilla, orange, lemon, rose water; pistachio, almond, cashew, raisin, walnut, or others) sweetener (sugar, brown sugar, honey, sweetened condensed milk, dates, fruit or syrups) eggs (sometimes) The following is a list of various rice puddings grouped by place of origin. Middle East, North and Central Africa, West Asia Moghli (Lebanese) with anise, caraway, and cinnamon Muhalibiyya (Arabic) with milk, rice flour, sugar, and rosewater Riz au lait (DRC-French) with milk and sugar Fırın sütlaç (Turkish) baked, with milk, eggs, and cinnamon Sütlaç (Turkish), served as cold; often browned in a salamander broiler and garnished with cinnamon. May be sweetened with sugar or pekmez. Riz bi haleeb (Levantine), (lit. "rice-with-milk") with rosewater and occasionally mastic Roz bel-laban (Egyptian), (lit. "rice-with-milk") Sholezard (Iranian) made with saffron and rose water. Some variations use butter to improve the texture. It is especially served on Islamic occasions in months of Muharram and Ramadan. Shir Berenj (Iranian) made with cardamom Zarda wa haleeb (Iraqi) rice prepared with date syrup served in the same dish as with rice prepared with milk Gatnabour (Armenian), (lit. "milk pudding") Südlü aş (Azerbaijani), (lit. "rice dish with milk") East Asia Ba bao fan (Chinese) with glutinous rice, red bean paste, lard, sugar syrup, and eight kinds of fruits or nuts; traditionally eaten at the Chinese New Year Put chai ko (Hong Kong) made with white or brown sugar, long-grain rice flour,