rice paper

American  

[rahys pey-per] / ˈraɪs ˌpeɪ pər /

noun

1. a Chinese or Japanese paper made from the pith of the rice-paper tree or certain other plants, cut and pressed into thin sheets.

   a watercolor painting on rice paper.

2. a thin paper made from the straw of the rice plant, as in China.

3. (in Southeast Asian cuisine) an almost translucent sheet made from a dough of rice flour and water, used for wrapping spring rolls and other foods.

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rice paper British  

noun

1. a thin semitransparent edible paper made from the straw of rice, on which macaroons and similar cakes are baked

2. a thin delicate Chinese paper made from an araliaceous plant, Tetrapanax papyriferum ( rice-paper plant ) of Taiwan, the pith of which is pared and flattened into sheets

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Etymology

Origin of rice paper

First recorded in 1810–15

Example Sentences

All my spices and rice paper noodles; canned goods, condiments, vinegars, oils.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

The topmost layer of the cake consists of a thin sheet of rice paper or wafer paper with another printed image on it.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2024

Some of her work used Japanese rice paper, although she said she had never studied Japanese art in depth.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2023

"We have all pushed the boundaries of what we can grow", he says, pointing to the huge tropical-looking foliage of the rice paper plant, saying "a few years ago it wouldn't have survived".

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2022

Then Father and I would cut the bamboo strips and the rice paper and slowly construct the model.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep