noun
starchy liquid from cooking rice
Culinary term for the thick, starchy water that forms when rice is boiled; often used in traditional cooking.
おねばを使ってとろみをつける。
Use the starchy rice water to thicken the dish.
おねばは炊飯中に出る粘り気のある液体です。
Oneba is the viscous liquid that comes out during rice cooking.
重湯 is a thin rice gruel or the liquid from cooking rice porridge, often used for weaning or sick people, while おねば is specifically the starchy solution from cooking regular rice.
From honorific prefix お (o) + 粘 (neba, 'stickiness'), referring to the sticky liquid from rice.