Starches like rice will taste different if you allow saliva to work on them - your saliva contains enzymes which break down starches into sugars. This is common

Starches like rice will taste different if you allow saliva to work on them - your saliva contains enzymes which break down starches into sugars. This is commonly demonstrated in middle school science classes by having kids chew a saltine cracker, and taste how it starts out bland and ends up tasting sweet as you hold it in your mouth.