Kitchen work with rice bran and brown rice after the harvest festival: A time to savor naturally grown rice

The harvest festival held in November at the Otaki family's rice field.

In the heart of nature in Uonuma, Niigata,
having been involved in natural rice cultivation for half a year,
it was the final day of that journey.

Offering rice at the shrine, making rice balls of light,
and savoring the feeling of gratitude with my whole body that day.

Actually, there was a continuation to that story.

It was—
a small moment of wonder that began
in front of the rice milling machine after returning home.

ーーーーーーーーー

The rice I received this time was
grown in the great outdoors without pesticides or fertilizers,
truly precious and special rice.

I brought it home as brown rice with excitement,
and finally, it was time to mill it.

I couldn't stop feeling excited and drooling
at the pure white rice coming out of the milling machine.

And underneath it was fluffy rice bran.

Usually, I would just scatter the bran in the field.
But this bran is not ordinary bran.

It would be a waste to put it in the field... wouldn't it?

Rice that I spent half a year visiting the fields for,
witnessing the earth, the sky, and the water.

I want to enjoy every bit of it, even the bran!!

I will share the record of how I thoroughly
satisfied my 'waste-not spirit'.

What you can do with naturally grown rice ① Let's make toasted rice bran

So, first, let's make toasted rice bran.

Making toasted rice bran is very easy.

Just put the bran in a frying pan
and stir over medium-low heat so it doesn't burn.

It's more about bringing out the aroma than frying it.

After a while,
a fragrant scent wafts up.

Mmm, this feels good. This is going to be delicious!

It smells so gentle and sweet
that I think just that.

Because it's grown without pesticides or fertilizers,
I can eat even the bran with peace of mind.

Just this alone makes me happy.

It's so luxurious.

Serving suggestion 1: Roasted rice bran mineral sprinkle

First, what has jumped to the top of our household favorites is this sprinkle.

・Roasted rice bran
・Ground sesame seeds
・Dried green seaweed (aonori)
・Bonito flakes
・A pinch of salt

Just mix these together. Simple, right!

When you sprinkle it over white rice,
the aroma and umami spread instantly...

there's no doubt you'll find yourself wondering, 'Wait, is the rice disappearing faster than usual?'

It's like the power of the rice is truly exploding.

It feels like nourishment is soaking into my body,
and even though it's just a sprinkle,
it somehow makes me feel more upright.

It's mineral-packed and healthy, not to mention delicious.

The ultimate sprinkle has been born.

Serving suggestion 2: Red bean paste × Roasted rice bran (This is an invention-level discovery)

Here is another thing that moved me.

Rice cakes with red bean paste.

Sprinkle some roasted rice bran over the top.

And then, oh, how mysterious.

It's different from kinako (soybean flour),
adding a more rice-like aroma.

It creates a fragrance and depth within the sweetness of the red bean paste,
instantly turning it into a sophisticated Japanese sweet for adults.

A quiet, supporting actor that brings out the sweetness of the red bean paste.

That is... roasted rice bran.

Honestly, this has become one of my absolute favorites.

Well, it's also fragrant and delicious just to eat on its own, though.

Crunch, crunch, crunch (sound of eating)

Things you can do because it's naturally grown rice ② Let's also make roasted brown rice

Furthermore, this time,
I also turned the brown rice itself into roasted brown rice.

The method is, once again, simple.

Just roast the washed brown rice in a frying pan.

At first, the brown rice has a lot of moisture, but after a while,
it makes a popping sound
and a fragrant aroma rises up.

The color also turns slightly brown.

Be careful not to burn it.

Some of the grains look white like puffed rice.
This is also quite cute.

Just munch on this as is.

It has a nice crunch and is delicious.

Munch, munch.

It's simple, but I can't stop.

Munch, munch, munch, munch...

My elementary school daughter also said, "This is delicious!"
and was happily eating it,
which made me feel a little happy.

The reason it feels like a proper meal even though it's a snack
might just be the power of rice.

A snack with absolutely no guilt.

The feeling that you get healthier the more you eat
must not be just my imagination.

The grains and the bran are all life!

On the day of the harvest festival, we offered rice to the gods
and expressed our gratitude.

And after returning home,
it was time to return the rice to my own body.

Not just the grains,
but the bran and the brown rice, all of it.

To receive it all gratefully and deliciously without waste.

I imagine that for Japanese people in the past,
this wasn't anything special,
but something completely natural.

Just how rich that natural way of life in the past
actually was.

By experiencing it like this now,
I feel like I can finally truly understand it.

Especially because we live in an age of abundance.

The story of the rice that I was able to witness for half a year.

I thought the harvest festival would be the end of it,
but the true conclusion
might have been this time spent with the rice bran.

With this, the story with the rice comes to a temporary end.

Delicious rice appears on the dining table again today.

I found myself savoring my usual 'itadakimasu'
just a little more deeply.

This has been Kireido from Niigata.

Your 'likes' are my encouragement 💖

Click here for the harvest festival at the Otaki family's rice field