Non Japanese rice in Japan

[pie-eater 207]

Does anyone know what the current situation is in Japan - is foreign rice available at all? A know-it-all acquaintance here in the UK was telling me, with total confidence, that no a single grain of rice was allowed to be sold in Japan. And if it was the Japanese economy "would collapse". He's well know for overblown exaggerations....

 

I didn't have the info to backup my reply. Anyone help?

[slow 0]

We import a little rice. Thai rice is easy to find. "Japan, Rice, GATT" you can find the story.

[indosnm 0]

You can get it here but the tarriffs on it are huge to protect the J rice farmers. a few hundrend % I remember reading many years ago.

[Fattwins 0]

as long as it doesnt directly compete Japanese rice then you can find it.　The economy would not be endanger most rice farmers dont make much anymore. In farm areas the farmers make more money selling their rice direstly to the local population than to JA. Japan has something like 5 years of rice stored. They tend to use the surplus as food or econmic aid to countries. Cue the Indian shipment after the flooding 3 to 4 years ago. the Indians were givin sticky rice and didnt know what to do with it.

[bobby12 0]

I used to buy a lot of thai rice in Nagano, there were plenty of little shops selling it but Ive yet to find any little asian stores like that in Kansai. It was around the same price as Japanese rice (ie. expensive). Big posh department stores tend to sell thai rice but only in 250g portions for about 1000yen or something stupid.

[cal 6]

 Quote:

as long as it doesnt directly compete Japanese rice then you can find it

If it's rice and in Japan, surely it is competing as such with Japanese rice?

[soubriquet 0]

Not really. There is a tarrif on imported rice, to stop the local producers being undercut. I don't think the imported rice is Japonica, though, so it is not dierct competition in that sense. I like to have basmati rice with an Indian curry.

 

JA used to have a buying monopoly, and would take everything at a fixed price. Individual producers and co-operatives are now free to sell independently, and can charge a premium if the qulaity is ther and they can find a market.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

 Quote:

I like to have basmati rice with an Indian curry.

And can you get that soubriquet?

[soubriquet 0]

There's an Indian restaurant in Sendai. Soubriquette is a pretty fair hand at curries, having spent a lot of time in India and being a professional and that. I've been known to turn out the odd rogan josh too.

[damian 0]

Most rice on Ldn supermarket shelves is either Basmati or loads of this rubbish called "American quick cook" rice. It is almost impossible to buy Japanese rice at a main supermarket. Same goes for any short grain rice. Basmati or AQC dominate the shelves. If I had to choose between Japans limited range and Ldns limited range, I go for Japan any day. I found that quite a surprise considering I complained all the time about the limited range of rice in Japan.

[bobby12 0]

If Ldn means london then I think you can find japanese rice very easily in supermarkets in the UK. Even little ones out in the country up north have little 250g bags of 'sushi rice'.

 

I dont like japanese rice at all, the only time I would use it by choice is when making sushi or that rice/tea thing (mochazuke?). I pity those poor Indians being sent the japanese rice, I'd love to have seen their reaction.

[NoFakie 45]

In Britain you can also buy brown rice and risotto rice. Even the crappy supermarket at the bottom of my folks' street has them.

 

I've never seen basmati in Japan. Where do you get yours soubs?

 

Best foreign thing I've had in Japan was Thai jasmine rice (its a type of rice, nothing to do with jasmine flowers). Costco used to do 5kg for 1400 yen. Haven't seen it there for a while though. The Thai rice imported during the shortage in the 1990s was terrible. You can also get long grain from Brazilian shops, but its not as good as jasmine rice. Its only really good for fried rice.

 

We have genmai from a local farmer.

[bobby12 0]

Wiggles there are two asian shops in Matsumoto where u can get thai rice. One is in the city centre in the back streets behind the main office of 82bank (the one on the river on the way to the castle). The other is on R158 just before it meets R19, 10 mins walk from matsumoto station.

[damian 0]

That's right, you could buy good old fashioned brown rice in my local supermarket in London. I was happy with that as I like brown rice very much.

 

But I never saw Japanese rice in any of the supermarkets I visited in London (in the rice section). I had to visit the Japanese shop to get it. Perhaps I should have looked in the 'sushi' section rather than the rice section. I, My girlfriend, my mum, we all searched for it and never found it. Just bags of American quick cook rice and basmati.

 

Although starchy and short grained, risotto rice is distinctly different to Japanese rice. In fact, risotto rice is good for risotto and not a whole lot more. I never once saw normal short grained rice in London supermarkets. Not once. America and Australia both farm a nice short grain called CalRose. I couldn't even find this in the supermarkets which I lived near in London. I couldn't find rolled oats either (not the porridge type. It was like trying to buy apple juice in Italy: almost impossible)

 

I grew up on Thai Jasmine rice and agree it is very good. Mind you, Australian supermarkets sell just about every variety of rice I have ever heard of. No bananas though.

[bobby12 0]

The sushi rice is normaly in the 'ethnic' section along with noodles, spices mixes, coconut milk and mexican stuff, its not in the rice section.

 

Tescos do their own range of specialty rices in little 250g or 500g boxes - risotto rice, wild rice, paella rice, they had about 5 or 6 kinds IIRC.

 

[damian 0]

I guess I should have checked the section with all that foreign food . I didn't have a big Tescos, only a Metro or Express version (which are worth avoiding, believe me!).

 

B12 - if you don't like Japanese rice try cooking in a mix of semi-rolled oats and wheat. It adds a bit of texture and interest to the rice and it cooks quite well in a rice cooker. Risotto rice on the other hand is marginal in a Japanese rice cooker, according to my experiments in the UK and Italy where we were lucky enough to have an authentic J rice cooker in both countries.

 

That wild rice you pictured is excellent with palm sugar and coconut cream with slices of mango for breakfast. Although it gets a bit sticky and sweet.

[NoFakie 45]

Don't go that way so often Bobs, but thanks for the shout. I'll have a look next time.

 

As for the quick cook stuff, its going back years but there's a scene in Only Fools and Horses where Delboy is in a posh Indian restaurant trying to impress one of his lady friends. When the waiter asks him about rice, he replies

 

"Got any Uncle Ben's?"

 

[soubriquet 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Mr Wiggles:
I've never seen basmati in Japan. Where do you get yours soubs?

I`ve confirmed this with soubriquette. We bought it at Yamaya (やまや). They are Tohoku based, but I believe they are present throughout Honshu. They have developed from a booze importer and wholesaler into booze and food importer and retailer.

[slow 0]

Ah, yamaya is nice. There is a yamaya just 3minutes walk from my office. I usually buy Black Pepper(very strong and good!), couscous and Italian ingredient.

Basmati = Jasmine rice?

[soubriquet 0]

Basmati is one of many varieties of long grain rice, and not jasmine. It is very dry, and non-sticky. My Sikh lodger was very particular about his rice, and forced me to change from Australian long grain to basmati.

 

Yamaya have really good buyers and some top stuff, including wine and tea. Cheap too.

[taguchi 0]

How do you rate Japanese rice compared to another rice or are they too different to compare well?

I am interested to try another rice. I remember trying once in States and I thought it was not good and also very dry. But maybe just the one I had. Which is good.

[indosnm 0]

Tag, I really like Japanese rice but it's not good for everything.

Fried rices, curries etc need non sticky types.

[soubriquet 0]

I'm probably not the best person to comment, because I don't have a very discriminating palate. Soubriquette can give you chapter and verse on rice: colour, texture, translucency, stickiness etc. There's no doubt that Japanese rice is very good quality and perfectly suited to Japanese cuisine.

 

As Indosnm states above, other types of rice suit non-Japanese dishes. The rice you had in the US may have been not-good, but something like basmati is a dry and nutty rice, with a loose texture. It may have been something unexpected and unfamiliar rather than not-good.

 

If you are interested, why not try some? Experiment with paella or some Indian dishes. Not Japanese curry, though. No no, not that.

[js 0]

Two basic types: Short and long grain.

 

Short is best used where stickiness is necessary e.g. most Oriental dishes. (Easier to pick up/shovel with chopsticks, use in rolls, etc.)

 

Long is used predominantly on the Indian sub-continent because there is an understandable preference for fluffy non-sticky rice in their varied cuisine.

 

Aromatic rices vary.

 

Basmati is perhaps the highest quality long grained variety - and is an important substitute for those with diabetic problems.

 

 

There is always an issue regarding which cooking method is best. Which one do yo'all use?

 

We always use the 'Absorption Method': wash out the excess starch until the rinse water is about clear, place about 1.5-2 cm of water above it, salt, bring to boil until little craters form, reduce heat and cover - voila, perfect fluffy stuff. (Gas stoves are superior to electric.)

[bobby12 0]

Now I just use a rice cooker. In the UK I would let the rice stand in water for about 15mins after washing, then drain and add boiling water and simmer on low heat for 11 mins with lid on and no stirring.

 

For me basmati is the most delicious rice by a long way.