Nigerians dey wash rice before cooking and I'm tired of pretending it's normal

Watched my aunt pour rice into a bowl this morning, add water, and start rubbing it with her two hands like she's washing clothes. I asked her why. She said 'to remove the dirt.' Which dirt? The dirt that entered the bag at the factory? The bag that was sealed?

I did the research. Actual food science people say rinsing rice removes surface starch, yes, but the amount of starch you're removing is minimal. You know what else removes starch? Cooking it. The heat. The water. The thing you're already doing. So we're spending 10 minutes rubbing rice at 6am for a benefit that the pot was going to handle anyway.

And before anybody comes for me, I know your grandmother did it. My grandmother did it too. But our grandmothers also believed swallowing orange seeds grows a tree in your belle. We moved on from that one. So why is this one still sacred?

Anyway. My position is clear. If you wash rice, you're doing unpaid labour for a problem that doesn't exist. If you don't wash rice, you're efficient. Which one are you?