Japanese rice

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Wasabista

Okay, thanks. Up in Saitama, I've seen Niigata no Koshihikari and Akita no Koshihikari but I don't recall any Fukui stuff.

Here we go; 田んぼの天使

Then again, they say the Irish invented whisky but the Scots perfected it...

That doesn`t mean that there isn`t any great whiskey from Ireland.

I just really dislike brand name power - and the common assumption that just because something has a famous name on it, it has to be good. I`ll make that choice myself - which is probably why we fill our cabinets with things from small producers. But they all *taste* best.

[blimp]

additional info on rice in japan from a trade policy perspective

http://www.customs.go.jp/english/tar..._4/data/10.htm

i saw in an article concerning the WTO DDA negotiations that they said 402 yen/Kg equals 780 % in ad-valorem duty even though i reckon the most common figure is approx 800 %.

[TalnSG]

I know this is heresy, but my long grain Texan basmati works fine for onigiri and sushi when its cooked with that use in mind. Its a softer long grain than others and just takes a bit more water. However you can't leave it sit for long once its cooked. As it dries the grains will begin to separate and give you traditional Indian/Middle Eastern fluffiness, unless you have already added vinegar.

Its flavor is different, but not less appealing, and the aroma while it cooks is wonderful ... slightly like popcorn. Since I buy it bulk and then transfer it to an old crock of my grandmother's I have no idea what brand it is, but it was one that is less polished and processed that the usual stuff in American grocery stores which helps with having enough gluten for stickiness.

[tsuruya]

oh really? but i think japanese rice is great,they taste really good and you can even lift it with chopsticks...

[Wasabista]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Here we go; 田んぼの天使

"Angel of the rice paddy," eh? I'll take a look...

I just really dislike brand name power - and the common assumption that just because something has a famous name on it, it has to be good. I`ll make that choice myself - which is probably why we fill our cabinets with things from small producers. But they all *taste* best.

Don't put down brands so fast. A reliable brand saves you time and trouble by directing you to a product whose good and bad points you understand. Whatever you may think about McDonald's or Starbucks, you know what you're getting. How many times have you stopped at an udon shop and found the food is crap, and the only reason lots of people stop there is because they have a big parking lot?

Niigata no Koshihikari is absolutely top notch, and I haven't met the Japanese who disagrees. But I'll certainly give the Fukui variety a try.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Wasabista

Don't put down brands so fast. A reliable brand saves you time and trouble by directing you to a product whose good and bad points you understand.

I am talking specifically about the assumption that because it has a certain name slapped on it, that it has to be good. Brands serve a purpose. If I want something "safe", a brand is the way to go. I know full well that when I try things that are unfamiliar that it`s a risk. It is easiest to stick with the tried and true, middle of the road, acceptable to the majority brand names. But that doesn`t mean they`re what *I* will find the best tasting. Therefore I am more than willing to take those risks so that I can find the things I personally like the best. Yes, I`ve had some real crap - but it isn`t as if I didn`t realize that risk was there. I`ve also found some absolutely wonderful products that the "safe" brands can`t even hold a candle to.

In other words - it`s not the brands themselves I dislike. It`s the cultural attitude toward those brands, and the frequent unwillingness to try something because it doesn`t have a brand name on it.

Niigata no Koshihikari is absolutely top notch, and I haven't met the Japanese who disagrees. But I'll certainly give the Fukui variety a try.

I never said Niigata Koshihikari was bad at all. It`s very good.

I just prefer Fukui, and consider it to be better. But if we run out of rice, and I pick up a small bag - it`s more than likely going to be Niigata... As, well, it`s safe - and I don`t want to be stuck eating through something awful. But I`ll still switch back over to our preferred rice ASAP.

[sushidushi]

Originally Posted by flashbarker

You also have to make sure you have a proper "Japanese" rice cooker, not a Korean or American one, something like a zojirushi model.

I'm resurrecting an old thread here! What is the difference between Japanese and other rice cookers? I might buy one at some point, and I need to know what to look for. The prices vary tremendously. Some of them claim to have 'fuzzy logic'. What is that? Does it actually mean anything?

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by sushidushi

I'm resurrecting an old thread here! What is the difference between Japanese and other rice cookers? I might buy one at some point, and I need to know what to look for. The prices vary tremendously. Some of them claim to have 'fuzzy logic'. What is that? Does it actually mean anything?

I may not be answering your question in a direct manner by saying this, but just think about who knows the best about rice and cooking rice. Think about who demands the most in how rice is cooked.

In Japan, rice isn't a side dish. It is the main dish. We actually call it 主食, meaning 'the main dish'. This is why many of us buy very expensive rice even though there are always cheaper brands. We want to cook rice in good rice cookers as well. In restaurants, we often comment on the rice served. Serve mediocre rice and you will lose customers. Gorgeous fish and meat dishes won't quite compensate　for poorly cooked rice over here.

So, it will depend on what you expect your rice cooker to do. If you mostly eat long-grain rice, why not buy a Chinese-made rice cooker? They sure know how to cook long-grain rice. But if you eat mostly short-grain, why not buy a rice-cooker made by people who actually eat and know well about short-grain like the Japanese?

The 'fuzzy' rice cooker means, at least here in Japan, that it will read with sensors how much rice and water you put in and will decide for you how it should be cooked for the best result. It will automatically adjust the temperatures and the time periods for each temperature used inside during the course of the cooking. The result is often impressive with all the grains standing vertically when it's done. 'Grains standing' is the synonym for 'rice finely prepared' to the Japanese.

The cheapest kind, like mine, cannot 'read' anything. They just basically keep heating in the same temperature till the end. Moreover, they usually cook using the same amount of time regardless of how much rice you'e cooking.

[Annaliza1228]

Originally Posted by ayladakora

When I go into a store here in the US.. what kind of rice am i to look for when i need Japanese rice?

short-grain rice... but you probably won't find it in U.S. supermarkets... you should go to an Oriental Store (which aren't mainstream) I hope this helps =)
I

[sushidushi]

Originally Posted by Nagoyankee

Lots of good stuff about rice, which I'm not quoting, for the sake of brevity

Thanks, Nagoyankee. In the end, I actually bought a very cheap rice cooker, which I used for the first time today, with some Japanese rice. The results were rather impressive, for a machine that cost less than a decent size bag of rice! The machine seemed to know when the rice was cooked and the water had evaporated, and it went on to keep the rice warm until I used it. Perhaps I'll get myself a good Japanese rice cooker in due course, but I'm happy with the cheap one for now.

Thanks again.

Simon.