Rice is Always Nice

~The Japanese eat a lot of rice. Actually, that sentence doesn't quite deliver the true impact of just how much rice they eat. They eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They eat it for snacks, and they eat it for dessert. They eat it at parties and celebrations. They eat it just about everywhere, as my students can attest. Because of that, they grow it everywhere, as well.

Outside (and inside) of every city stretch endless rice paddies, which become mosquito breeding pits every spring for hordes of voracious bloodsuckers (not unlike the IRS, actually). Niigata Prefecture, where I'm living at the moment, leads Japan in rice production and is thus an important part of the national economy.

^ Part of the rice section at a local grocery store (by special request). There are dozens of brands of rice in sizes ranging from 2 kg bags to 20 kg bags, enough to feel a platoon or three. This picture shows only one part of the rice section, which is actually about four times larger.

^ Every supermarket also has a large section devoted to seasonings for rice. Because, y'know, that taste gets old after awhile. My personal favorite is a bottle of inky soy sauce called "All-Purpose Seasoning". With a name like that, why bother buying anything else?


A few posts ago, I mentioned that I wasn't sure if I was actually eating Niigata rice, because I couldn't read the labels. I promised a full report when/if I was able to try the real stuff, and after a bit of research was able to locate the proper brand. So, without further ado, I present:



<-- Koshihikari, the tastiest and most famous rice in all of Japan, grown right here in Niigata. I was able to read the vertical hiragana こしひかり, meaning 'ko-shi-hi-ka-ri'. This is a 5 kg bag, and cost ~$25, twice the price of other brands in bags of equal weight. But boy, was it worth it. And how could I pass up that phoenix fireworks design?

At first, I wondered "How different can this be from the cheap(est) stuff I usually buy?" I was soon to learn the depth of my misconception. Koshihikari is easily the most delicious rice I've eaten in my entire life. The grains are relatively plump compared to other brands of rice, and the texture is light and fluffy, melting in your mouth (not in your hand).

The taste is slightly sweet and completely delicious, a result of rich Niigata soil and clear water from mountain streams. I can attest to the taste, because I'm eating it in front of the computer as I type this blog post (this bachelor lifestyle rocks!).

In the future, I'll hopefully be posting more about different foods available in Japan as I endeavor to expand my admittedly limited culinary horizons. That's all from the Eastern Hemisphere for today. Remember, as my Dad says, "David, when in doubt, Rice is Always Nice!". ~Oyasumi!