About Rice

We call steamed rice "gohan" in Japan. The way rice is prepared is reflected by what it is called in Japanese, rather than how in English "rice" is modified by an adjective. In many Asian countries rice is considered the main part of the meal. There are many regional varieties of rice wheat chosen for a meal, but when rice is eaten by itself, I think the Japanese brand "Koshihikari" is the most delicious variety. This brand of rice, shown in the photo, is grown and processed in Ikedacho, in the Fukui prefecture of Japan. This town is surrounded by wilderness and pure water from the area. The warm and humid climate is necessary for the production of high quality rice, but abundant clean water is the most important element. The environment of Japan is ideal for such high quality rice production and for that reason the people of Japan can enjoy some of the best rice in the world. Not only that, but in Japan, the traditional spices and seasonings like miso, shoyu (soy sauce), sake (YES!) and nuka (rice bran) are made from rice. Higher quality rice makes higher quality seasonings. I am sure that many arguments could be made about which rice is the best in Japan since it largely depends on where you were raised and happy childhood memories associated with a certain variety, but there are many excellent varieties to choose from in Japan. Everyone enjoys their rice in the end.

ごはん。

炊いたお米をご飯と呼ぶ。日本を始め、アジア人の主食である米。各国それぞれの料理に適する品種が在るが、ごはんだけで食べると日本産のコシヒカリは本当においしいと思う。このお米は福井県池田町産コシヒカリ。池田町は自然がそのままの状態で残されており、何より水が美しいことが粒よりのおいしいお米ができる一番の理由である。米の生産には温暖で湿潤な気候はもとよりきれいな水が不可欠で、日本では越前地方が最も米作りに適した環境とされている。日本は水がきれいなことも米食が根付いた大きな一因である。

日本の調味料である味噌や醤油や酒、糠などもお米が原料である。稲作は先史時代より中国大陸から伝わり、日本に定着した。そして今でも我々日本人にとってなくてはならない命の源となっている。愛する人が握ってくれるおにぎりより美味いものはないのである。と思うのは私が日本で育ったからでしょうか。

Photo shoot at Horohisa