Japanese Rice as Food and Tradition

Autumn is a busy season in Japan, with a variety of festivals being held up and down the country. Many of these festivals originated as harvest festivals, where locals would celebrate the crop and give thanks to the gods for their good fortune, and to pray for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

This excitement over the new rice extends into the modern day as Japanese chefs from those into the five-star restaurants to the mothers and fathers in the kitchen get excited and inspired to create new recipes.

Rice has been at the center of many of these as it’s the main crop dating back over 2,000 years and at one point was even used as currency. This importance attached to rice explains the custom that you should finish every grain of rice in your bowl!

You might be surprised to learn that rice farming has not been overly mechanized as farming in other countries and it is still carried out by hand on thousands of rice paddies around Japan, many which have been farmed by the same family for generations.

With a renewed interest in the environment and agriculture, the experience of harvesting rice, and indeed planting as well, has become a popular attraction for Japanese urban dwellers, from business people to families. Visitors to Japan can also get involved with an increasing number of tours becoming available during September and October in areas such as Nigata and Tohoku, famous for their rice production.

Once the rice is harvested, the bulk of the crop will be used in food preparation but rice is also used to make a number of products essential to Japanese food and drink culture. These include rice vinegar which is used in the preparation of sushi rice, rice flour and rice bran. Our favorite use however is in the preparation of the Japanese rice wine, more commonly known as sake or nihonshu.

Sake is experiencing something of a boom overseas as foodies look for new and exciting ways to pair the alcohol with a variety of dishes. In response to this boom, many sake breweries, sakagura, have opened their doors to allow visitors in to see the fermenting process, to learn about the subtle nuances of different varieties, and of course to sample the product!

With over 300 kinds of rice, it’s no surprise that there are endless uses for it in kitchens across Japan. Japanese people are immensely proud of their rice and everyone will have their own favorite way of eating it, or their secret recipes or tips on how to best use it.

Whether you prefer to have a simple bowl of freshly cooked rice, or enjoy it with the tangy flavors of pickled vegetables, otskemono, dried plums, umeboshi, or with marinated seaweed, nori, there is bound to be one taste that will appeal to you.

We suggest starting with a plain bowl of koshihikari, the ‘Rolls Rice’ of Japan’s favorite crop. Its very name makes Japanese mouths water, and it’s a great introduction to the culture of Japanese rice.

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