Kazandibi (Caramelized Milk Pudding) vs Rizogalo: Creamy Greek Rice Pudding

Both desserts start from milk and rely on cornstarch for body, yet they end up in very different places. Kazandibi blends cornstarch with rice flour into a thick, smooth pudding, then cooks it over butter and sugar until the base turns a deep caramel, setting a creamy, milky top against a slightly chewy, toasted burnt-sugar bottom. Rizogalo keeps tender grains of short-grain rice suspended in a creamy, spoon-coating pudding, using cornstarch only as a final thickener and vanilla as an aromatic finish. Both are served chilled, with cinnamon optional on kazandibi and scattered generously over rizogalo.