Asking a Rice Expert: I want to make my everyday rice taste even better!
Hello. This is N, a member of the JA Zen-Noh Public Relations Department note editorial team.
Did you enjoy the new rice harvest? By the way, "new rice" refers to rice that has been milled and bagged by the end of December of the year it was harvested. As for me, I was born in Toyama and have lived there for several decades. I eat rice every day, and now I've started cooking it myself, but I'm not really sure if I'm cooking it well... This time, along with editorial team member F, I paid a visit to JA Zen-Noh Pearl Rice, which handles wholesale rice sales for the Zen-Noh Group! We asked Mr. Hideyuki Nishinoiri, a rice expert and rice advisor, for tips on how to cook delicious rice.
Follow these tips to cook delicious rice!
1. Rice should be measured level with the cup! Measure it precisely.
POINT!
A standard rice measuring cup is 1 go = 180ml. To cook delicious rice, the key is to measure it properly.
2. Wash it quickly.
First, pour in plenty of water, submerge any floating grains, stir vigorously 2-3 times, and drain the water. Then, add enough water to cover the rice and wash it by stirring it in a swishing motion. Repeat the process of adding water, stirring lightly, and draining until the water runs clear. That's all you need to do.
POINT!
Modern rice milling machines are very efficient, so there isn't much bran left on the rice. There is no need to wash it forcefully like in the old days. The rice surface will feel slimy at first, but once it feels gritty or rough, that's a sign the bran has been removed. If you are using a colander, work quickly, as leaving the rice in the colander for too long can cause the grains to crack.
3. Be precise with the water level.
The amount of water should be 1.2 times the volume of the rice. If using a rice cooker, place the inner pot on a flat surface and gently pour water up to the mark. Once the water level is set, rotate the inner pot (or pan) in one direction while it is on a level surface. Cooking with the rice slightly mounded in the center prevents uneven cooking and ensures the surface is flat when finished.
POINT!
When eating a specific type of rice for the first time, cook it with the exact amount of water indicated by the markings. After that, you can adjust the water level to suit your preference, whether you like it softer or firmer.
4. Soak the rice.
Let the rice absorb enough water to reach the center of the grain. A good rule of thumb is at least 30 minutes, or about 60 minutes in winter. While it depends on the water temperature, the rice will reach a saturation point in about 2 hours. Soaking for about 2 hours at a lower temperature results in softer, fluffier rice.
5. Switch on! (Or light the flame!)
6. Let it steam, then "Shari-kiri" (fluff it)!
Once cooked, let it steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, immediately perform "Shari-kiri" (fluffing the rice). Run a rice paddle along the inside of the pot to loosen the edges, then cut into the rice in a cross pattern, turn it over, and gently fluff it. This mixes it evenly and releases excess moisture.
CHECK!
Some rice cookers include the steaming time in the cooking cycle, so be sure to check your manual.
Scoop it into a bowl and enjoy!
Q&A
It has been several years since I started cooking rice myself... I asked Mr. Nishinoiri about things I had been wondering or concerned about.
Q. I can't seem to cook pre-washed rice well! Why is that?
A. Regular milled rice has bran residue that needs to be washed off, but rinse-free rice has had that surface bran removed. Since rinse-free rice grains are smaller than regular milled rice, measuring with the same 1-cup measure for white rice (regular milled) will result in a slightly larger amount. Please add about one tablespoon of water per cup. If your rice cooker has a scale for rinse-free rice, use that. Alternatively, measure with a cup specifically for rinse-free rice and add water according to the 'white rice (regular milled)' scale.
Q. How should I store milled rice?
A. Rice absorbs odors easily, so it is recommended to store it in an airtight container in a cool place like the vegetable compartment of a refrigerator. Rice bags sold at retail stores have ventilation holes, so avoid storing them as they are. Try to finish eating the rice within 1 to 2 months of milling.
Q. What about cooked rice after that...?
While it is still warm, spread it thin and flat, wrap it in plastic wrap, let it cool, and then freeze it. If you leave it in the rice cooker on keep-warm mode, the rice will discolor and the flavor will deteriorate. Also, if you store it in the refrigerator, the starch will retrograde and become hard, so please store it in the freezer.
Q. Is there rice that suits certain dishes?
A. For example, rice with a chewy texture is suitable for rice balls and bento boxes. It tastes delicious even when cold. For fried rice, curry, or rice bowls, rice with a loose, individual-grain texture is better. I think Chiba's 'Tsubusuke' is a good fit for that. When having egg-topped rice, why not enjoy it with rice that has firm grains, such as 'Fusaotome,' 'Masshigura,' or 'Asahi no Yume'?
Q. What is the most important point for cooking delicious rice?
A. Measuring accurately. If the amount of rice is not precise, you cannot adjust it with the water level. When we do tastings, we measure both the rice and the water by weight.
Section Chief Nishino, thank you very much! I want to cook delicious rice and enjoy my daily meals.
Detailed procedures are introduced on the Zen-Noh Pearl Rice website. Please refer to that as well!
I experienced a 'rice taste comparison'!
Zen-Noh Pearl Rice regularly conducts tasting sessions as part of their taste testing. Employees taste the rice together to check this year's quality during the new rice season and to compare new varieties. We cannot explain the rice we sell if we don't know its taste properly. When we receive inquiries from customers, we also confirm by actually eating it.
This time, I experienced the tasting session conducted by the employees.
In the taste test, we set a standard rice and check 'how it compares to the standard rice' while the variety name is hidden. We check the aroma, appearance, and stickiness compared to the standard rice, and write down our own rankings. The results are summarized and shared within the company.
On this day, we compared Akita's 'Akitakomachi' as the standard rice with Miyagi's 'Date Masayume,' Chiba's 'Tsubusuke,' and Niigata's 'Koshihikari.' I wondered if I would be able to tell the difference, but when I opened the lids...
Hmm!!? The aroma is a little different...
The softness and stickiness also seem to be subtly different from each other...
There were varieties I had never eaten before, and it was interesting to feel my own preferences, such as 'Oh, I might quite like this' or 'This is similar to the rice I usually eat.'
It is difficult to cook and compare several types at home at once, but it is also recommended to try different production areas and brands to see how they compare to the rice you usually eat.
Speaking of classic local rice accompaniments...
Now then. Once you have mastered the points for cooking delicious rice, you will need delicious rice accompaniments! So, here are the 'classic local rice accompaniments' asked of the Zen-Noh public relations and rice representatives who introduced notable rice in the previous 'Rice' episode. What kind of accompaniments do you enjoy in your local area?
JA Zen-Noh Aomori: "Tororo" (Grated Yam)
When you think of a staple on Aomori dining tables, it's "tororo gohan" (grated yam over rice)! Just grate some nagaimo (long yam) and put it on your rice♪
・"Tororo gohan" for a busy breakfast
・"Tororo gohan" for a quick lunch on your day off
・"Tororo gohan" for dinner as a final nutritional boost for the day
It's always there as a great companion for rice. "Aomori Nagaimo" has very little bitterness, so it's easy to eat and you can slurp it right down with your rice. You can easily season it by adding soy sauce or dashi broth, or by mixing in a raw egg. I'm a bit of a glutton, so I can easily eat three bowls while changing up the flavor with toppings like wasabi or ginger!
"Tororo gohan" isn't the only staple on Aomori dining tables. Aomori Prefecture has many delicious ingredients like burdock root, scallops, and tuna. We introduce these rice companions through Governor Shingo Mimura's rhythmic T-shirt dance♪ This video is filled with the wish that you enjoy your rice with various ingredients from Aomori Prefecture. Please take a look.
JA Zen-Noh Iwate: "Bin-don" (Bottled Rice Bowl)
When it comes to popular rice companions in Iwate Prefecture, it's the Sanriku Miyako specialty, "Bin-don." Bin-don is an experiential seafood bowl where seasonal ingredients from Miyako, such as sea urchin, salmon roe, and salmon, are packed tightly into a milk bottle, which you then pour over your rice to "see, arrange, and eat." The fresh ingredients packed into the milk bottle are also characterized by their beautiful appearance.
JA Zen-Noh Yamagata: "Dashi"
When you think of Yamagata Prefecture, you have to think of "dashi"!! Dashi is made by finely chopping summer vegetables like cucumbers and eggplants, along with aromatics like myoga ginger, shiso leaves, and ginger, and mixing them with your favorite slimy ingredients like okra or mekabu seaweed. If you put cold dashi over hot, steaming rice, you can enjoy the crunchy texture, and it's easy to eat even on a hot summer day. It's an essential companion for the summer for the people of Yamagata!
JA Zen-Noh Ibaraki: "Soboro Natto"
Natto is a well-known specialty of Mito City, but in the central region of the prefecture centered around Mito, there is a traditional food that uses natto. That is "soboro natto," which is made by mixing chopped dried daikon radish with natto. It is a dish where you can enjoy the contrast between the softness of the natto and the crunchy texture of the dried daikon radish. In addition to being made in individual homes, it can also be easily purchased at supermarkets and other stores.
JA Zen-Noh Kanagawa: "Shirasu" (Whitebait)
The "shirasu" caught by boat seine fishing in Sagami Bay is a specialty so famous that it is often featured on national gourmet programs and in newspapers. In particular, "raw shirasu," which you eat fresh, is a delicacy that can only be tasted in the region where it is landed. Except for the closed fishing season (January to March), I would say "raw shirasu bowl" is my only choice for lunch... well, that might be an exaggeration, but it's a soul food that makes me feel energetic when I have it, and not so much when I don't. While some of the caught shirasu is landed at markets, much of it is processed by the fishers themselves and sold directly as products like kamaage (boiled), shirasu-boshi (dried), or tatami-iwashi (pressed and dried). This method of producers (fishers) processing and selling what they catch has been a proud culture of Kanagawa Prefecture that has continued long before the term "sixth-sector industrialization" was coined.
Click here for details
We are a major production area for winter daikon radish. Please also try our "Miura-grown Daikon Leaf Mixed Rice Mix," which uses daikon leaves grown on the Miura Peninsula!
JA Zen-Noh Nagano: "Nozawana-zuke" (Pickled Nozawana) and "Namatake" (Enoki Mushrooms)
Both are soul foods for the people of Nagano Prefecture. Nozawana-zuke is a pickle with just the right amount of saltiness that makes you want to keep eating. If the old pickles are too sour, chop them finely and stir-fry them with a little sugar and sesame oil for a different flavor that makes the rice go down even faster. Namatake is not only great on hot rice as is, but it's also like a seasoning that can be used for anything, such as cooking it with 2-3 cups of rice for takikomi gohan or as an ingredient in rolled omelets.
JA Zen-Noh Toyama: "Tororo Konbu" (Shredded Kelp)
If we're talking about rice companions, or rather, rice balls, it has to be "tororo konbu"! "Tororo konbu rice balls," which are generously coated in shredded kelp instead of nori seaweed, are a staple in Toyama Prefecture. Toyama Prefecture has one of the highest kelp consumption rates in the country, and it's not only eaten at home but also sold in supermarkets and convenience stores.
JA Zen-Noh Gifu: "Keichan"
Keichan is a local dish loved mainly in the Hida and Oku-Mino regions. It's made with simple ingredients like chicken and cabbage, but the savory aroma of the miso-based sauce as it grills is irresistibly delicious! Piping hot keichan cooked on an iron plate is the best companion for rice. It's easy to make, so you often see it at school festivals and fireworks festival food stalls.
JA Zen-Noh Okayama: "Ki-nira Miso" (Yellow Chive Miso)
Ki-nira (yellow chives) are a specialty of Okayama Prefecture! Compared to green chives, they are softer yet have a crunchy texture, and they are slightly sweet and appetizing. "Ki-nira Miso" is made by using these yellow chives, Okayama-grown minced pork, and Bizen miso to create a spicy finish! It's great to put on hot rice! It's also perfect as a filling for rice balls!
JA Zen-Noh Furen "Hakata Mentaiko"
"Hakata Mentaiko" is a classic Fukuoka side dish that combines richness and umami within its spiciness. There is a wide variety available, ranging from those with a spicy kick of chili pepper to yuzu-flavored or kelp-flavored versions. Recently, it has been used in Western and Italian cuisine, but nothing beats eating mentaiko with piping hot white rice.
Zen-Noh also suggests various other ways to eat it!
1. Paella
The JA Zen-Noh Rice Production and Collection Countermeasures Department introduces recipes that can be made in a single frying pan, with the slogan "Let's have paella on the weekend!"
2. Taco Rice
The JA Zen-Noh Rice Department is working to expand the consumption of domestic agricultural and livestock products, including rice, for which demand has been declining. Taco rice allows you to have a well-balanced meal in one dish, containing carbohydrates (rice), protein (ground meat), vitamins (lettuce, tomatoes), and calcium (cheese).
Taco rice recipes are also introduced in the "Food and Agriculture Information Magazine Apron."
*For taco rice and paella, we recommend using rice that is firm, has less stickiness, and has distinct grains!
3. Mixed Rice
I like takikomi gohan (rice cooked with ingredients), but I, Member F, who loves mixed rice, would like to introduce my top recommendation!
Why not make "mixed rice," which is colorful yet foolproof?
The Zen-Noh Pearl Rice website is full of delicious rice recipes. Please take a look at those as well.
What did you think of these tips, from how to cook delicious rice to rice accompaniments and rice dishes? I will also use these as a reference to enjoy my daily meals to the fullest.
Click here for information on rice varieties!