The Japanese Rice

The Japanese Rice (Nihon no Kome)

Like other Asian countries, rice is the staple food in Japan. However, in Japan, rice is not only essential food, but it is considered a refined art of dining. It has long been the mark of fine living. The Japanese takes their rice very seriously as an essential part of their refined culture. The rice that is grown in Japan is the short-grain type of rice, known as Japonica. Stickiness and glossy texture is characteristic of Japanese rice.

Japonica rice is recognized by its starchy ingredient. Rice that we consume daily is called “uruchi-gome” (ordinary rice) which is not as sticky as “mochigome” (sweet, glutinous rice). Mochigome is used for making the Japanese rice cake, called “mochi”, and red bean rice, known as “seki-han”, which is savoured during every celebration. There are 2 kinds of starchy contents in the rice, which are known scientifically as amylose and amylopectin. The ordinary rice, uruchi-gome, has about 20% amylose and 80% amylopectin, whereas, the sticky rice, mochigome, has 100% amylopectin. The stickiness of mochigome is due to the large ratio of amylopectin.

In Japan, rice is packed and sold in two varieties, which are the branded rice and the blended rice. Branded rice is rice that only consist of one variety, for example, “koshihikari”, “akitakomachi” and “hitomebore”. Blended rice is literally rice that is blended with more than one variety. The famous “suishomai” is one of the types of blended rice.

Today, over 300 varieties of rice are cultivated throughout Japan. Depending on each district’s climate and environment, improvement of breed is a continuing task to cultivate and produce the best rice variety. Research is focused not only on improving its taste, but also on increasing the health benefits of the Japanese rice towards strengthening the immune system to prevent illnesses such as the common cold.

Sushi is a well-known dish outside Japan and a superb Japanese rice cuisine. With the combination of sushi vinegar, sugar and salt mixed together into Japanese rice, it creates an amazingly unique taste of vinegar rice. There are many different types of sushi to whet your appetite.

Japanese rice is the embodiment of the art of perfection, from cultivation right up to the culinary servings and the fine art of eating.