The invention relates to a method for drying rice, in which, during the drying process, the grains of rice pass through surface states which have various pairs of values of temperature (T) of the surface and moisture (U) of the surface, the surface of the grains of rice remaining in a viscoelastic state during the drying process, and in which, in a diagram comprising temperature (T) of the surface of the grains of rice and moisture (U) of the surface, a) the temperature (Tv) of the surface of the grains of rice lies no more than 40° C. above the temperature (Tg) on the glass transition curve of the rice at the point of the same moisture of the surface and/or b) the moisture (Uv) of the surface of the grains of rice lies no more than 20% above the moisture on the glass transition curve of the rice at the point of the same temperature of the surface.