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Rice is one of the staples of the Japanese diet and also call “gohan”.
It is use in many dishes such as sushi, rice balls, pork cutlet bowls, beef bowls, and fried rice.
Mochi are also make from rice.
The basic types of rice in Japan
Rice White rice 白米
White rice is brown rice that has been polished to leave only the endosperm.
The reason why rice is polished is because it makes the rice tastier. It is the same reason why fruits taste better when the skin and seeds are removed.
However, the whiter the rice becomes after polishing, the more vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other good-for-you components are lost.
If you eat rice as brown rice, you can enjoy a healthy diet with excellent nutritional balance.
Brown rice 玄米
Brown rice is rice that has had only the husks removed from the rice seed, leaving the bran and germ intact.
Brown rice is rich in nutrients from the bran and germ that are not found in white rice.
There is also a type of rice called “germinated brown rice” in which brown rice is slightly germinated by adding water.
Mlutinous rice もち米
Rice used to make mochi (rice cakes) and sekihan (red rice).
Glutinous rice looks milky white and opaque, and is also characterized by its slightly rounded shape.
It is popular for its unique glutinous texture, and is indispensable for making Japanese sweets such as ohagi (rice cakes), shiratama (white rice balls), and daifuku (sweet rice cake) because it does not harden easily when cold and retains its delicious flavor for a long time.
In the past, glutinous rice was burned and used to make rice cakes, but today it is common to buy rice cakes on sale.
Typical dishes using rice
Sushi すし
Sushi is a typical Japanese dish.
There are various types of sushi, including nigirizushi, temakizushi, and chirashizushi.
The rice used for sushi is called sushi rice, which is a mixture of rice and vinegar.
Rice ball Onigiri おにぎり
Onigiri can be held in one hand and eaten with the other, so they are often made for children’s lunch boxes.
Basically, it is a simple dish in which rice is mixed with furikake and other seasonings, and then it is shaped into a circle or triangle and wrapped in nori (seaweed).
Some of them are interesting, such as those with character designs on them. Onigiri can also be grilled and eaten as yaki onigiri.
Rice with tea poured on it (Japanese dish) お茶漬け
Ochazuke is white rice topped with tea. While there are other ways of eating rice with soup outside of Japan, eating rice with tea is a rarity even from a global perspective.
It is common to eat chazuke with furikake (sprinkles), and a variety of furikake for chazuke are sold.
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Sekihan (Red Rice) 赤飯
Sekihan (red rice) is said to be eaten on festive occasions. Therefore, it is not often eaten in Japanese restaurants. It is made with glutinous rice and azuki beans, and is characterized by its sticky texture.
Bowl of rice with food on top どんぶり
It is a Japanese dish consisting of rice in a bowl with side dishes on top. Typical examples are katsudon, gyudon, unadon, and kaisendon. There are so many different types! There are so many that it is impossible to introduce them all.
Mixed rice, takikomi-gohan
混ぜご飯 炊き込みご飯
Rice seasoned with salt or soy sauce and mixed with seasoned ingredients. It is also called “Takikomi-gohan”. Seasonal vegetables are often mixed in.
Typical examples include “Gomoku takikomi gohan” with chicken thighs, carrots, konnyaku, burdocks, etc., and “mushroom chicken gobo gohan” with mushrooms, chicken, and burdocks.
