Burnt the bottom of my rice pot for the 100th time and accidentally figured out the best thing ever

So I have a bad habit of walking away from the stove. We all know this is a sin in the kitchen but here we are.

Last Tuesday I scorched the bottom of my rice AGAIN and I was so annoyed I just poured some water in the pot and left it to soak. Came back like 20 minutes later and the water had turned into this thick, slightly starchy, almost creamy liquid. Instead of dumping it I just... tasted it. And it was actually good?

I ended up seasoning it with a little salt, garlic powder and a tiny bit of butter and used it as a base for a soup I was making. It thickened it perfectly. No flour, no cornstarch, nothing extra.

Now I do it on purpose. I let the last little bit of rice catch just slightly, deglaze it with water, and use that starchy water in whatever I'm cooking next. Soups, stews, even just poured over some vegetables. It adds body to everything.

Been cooking my whole life and only figured this out by accident at 26. My grandma would probably smack me for taking this long honestly.

Anyone else have stuff they discovered purely by messing up?