Rice 米

Plump and fluffy with a sweet aroma. Mouth-watering freshly steamed rice is an essential part of a Japanese meal. Japan Rice is mostly the short, round grain Japonica rice. It has just-right elasticity and is characterized by a sticky texture when cooked or steamed. An excellent attribute is that it does not lose its soft and sticky nature even when cooled, retaining its delicious flavor without becoming dry. Different varieties have been developed in each part of Japan, matched to the local climate. They have diverse flavors and textures, so you can enjoy choosing different types.

Rice is eaten many ways in Japan—with fish or meat, with ingredients mixed in, with toppings in a bowl, or in Japanese confections using glutinous rice. In particular, simple salted onigiri (rice balls) that are pressed lightly into shape and sprinkled with salt have a special place in Japanese people’s hearts as a recipe that lets you directly savor the sweet, sticky, aromatic rice. Japan Rice is sticky, so it forms balls nicely with only a little pressing, coming gently apart in your mouth when you take a bite. The texture of the rice coming apart in your mouth from both sushi and onigiri is where you can see the skill of the chefs who strongly favor Japan Rice. Sushi and onigiri, loved in Japan since long ago, are parts of Japanese cuisine that are now popular worldwide. Their truly delicious flavor is sure to spread with the growing use of Japan Rice.

Beautiful, white Japan Rice with its uniform grain size undergoes several processes before reaching your table. It takes about a year to produce rice, from seeding to harvest. After harvesting the painstakingly grown rice plants, they are dehusked to make brown rice. The brown rice is then polished and delivered to shops and restaurants.

These processes make abundant use of the latest Japanese technologies, like driers that uniformly dry the rice without causing damage, sorting technology that uses light to pick out tiny contaminants, and polishing technology that does not overheat the rice. In terms of quality control, the water volume and temperature are carefully controlled. Advanced technology and careful labor results in high quality rice that is unrivaled throughout the world.

Rice is 75% carbohydrates. It also contains water, protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins, making it a well-balanced food. Granular rice naturally induces a large number of chews to make you feel full with just the right amount, and keep you feeling full afterwards.