Uncover the various kinds of Japanese rice, the place to purchase the perfect manufacturers, and find out how to retailer your rice so it stays contemporary longer. On this information, I’ll additionally present you ways to decide on high-quality rice that’s excellent for making genuine Japanese meals at dwelling.
Rice is the muse of Japanese delicacies. It’s liked for its pearly floor, barely sticky texture, refined sweetness, and flexibility. Whether or not you’re simply beginning to prepare dinner Japanese meals or making sushi for an important day, studying about Japanese rice is the primary and most necessary step.
On this information, I’ll stroll you thru the various kinds of Japanese rice, my favourite manufacturers, the place to purchase them, and reply probably the most regularly requested questions.
For detailed tips about cooking and storing rice, take a look at these useful guides: Find out how to Cook dinner Japanese Rice in a Rice Cooker, Find out how to Cook dinner Sushi Rice, and Find out how to Retailer Cooked Rice.
What’s Japanese Rice?
Japanese rice is a short-grain Japonica rice identified for its plump, shiny grains and refined sweetness. Not like long-grain varieties like Basmati or Jasmine, it cooks up sticky, tender, and barely chewy. This texture makes it excellent for on a regular basis meals, sushi, donburi rice bowls, and onigiri (rice balls).
Two Primary Sorts of Japanese Rice
Basically, we are able to group Japanese rice into two fundamental classes in Japan:
1. Customary Japanese rice (Uruchimai)
- Brief-grain Japonica rice (短粒種)
- Widespread varieties embrace Koshihikari, Akitakomachi, Hitomebore, Nanatsuboshi, Sasanishiki, and Tsuyahime.
- Generally eaten in on a regular basis meals. As soon as cooked, it’s referred to as gohan (ご飯), and served as a staple—usually in ichiju sansai (one soup three dishes), with Japanese curry, in donburi bowls, or formed into onigiri rice balls.
- Important for sushi rice, the place it’s seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Additionally utilized in making sake and rice vinegar.
- Obtainable in numerous varieties: White rice, brown rice (genmai), haiga rice (germ retained), and GABA rice (germinated brown rice).
In case you’re curious in regards to the totally different types of Japanese rice (e.g., haiga rice, GABA rice), take a look at our publish on Sorts of Japanese Rice.
2. Japanese candy rice or glutinous rice (Mochigome)
- Stickier, chewier, and extra glutinous than commonplace Japanese rice (uruchimai).
- Important for making mochi (rice muffins), wagashi (conventional Japanese sweets), and Sekihan (Azuki Pink Bean Rice)
- Not appropriate for on a regular basis steamed rice—it’s too sticky for normal meals.
How about Medium-Grain Rice?
- In Japan — Medium-grain rice just isn’t generally utilized in dwelling cooking. Nevertheless, it could be utilized in college lunches, eating places or catering companies to hjelp cut back prices. Some packaged rice merchandise additionally combine in medium-grain rice to stability texture and cut back the worth.
- Within the U.S. — Calrose, grown in California, is often eatren in Japanese American households. It’s broadly obtainable in supermarkets and Aisan shops. Widespread manufacturers embrace Botan, Kokuho Rose, Nishiki, and Sho-Chiku-Bai.
- In Australia — SunRice Medium Grain is an Australian-grown medium-grain rice with good stickiness, appropriate for Japanese-style meals.
- Different areas — Search for labels like “Sushi Rice” “Calrose” or “Japonica” and select rice grown in California, Spain, or Australia—these are likely to have higher texture for Japanese dishes.
In Japan, “sushi rice” refers solely to cooked rice that has been seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and salt for making sushi. It’s not the identical because the raw, pre-labled “sushi rice” offered in packages abroad.
Why is Japanese Rice Sticky?
Japanese rice is of course sticky as a result of it has quite a lot of amylopectin and little or no amylose. These are two varieties of starch that have an effect on how rice cooks. Extra amylopection = extra stickiness.
Different Components That Have an effect on Stickiness:
- Rice varieties — Sorts like Koshihikari, Hitomebore, and Akitakomachi are bred to be shiny, tender, and sticky.
- Shinmai (新米) — Freshly harvested rice, referred to as shinmai, accommodates extra moisture. It tends to be stickier and extra aromatic.
- Rinsing and soaking — Washing and soaking the rice earlier than cooking helps take away further starch and enhance texture.
Notice: The time period “sticky rice” is usually used to explain any rice with a sticky texture. Nevertheless, in lots of Asian cultures, “sticky rice” refers particularly to glutinous rice—like Japanese candy rice (mochigome) or Thai sticky rice.
Whereas Japanese short-grain rice is stickier than long-grain varieties like Jasmine or Basmati, it isn’t the identical as true glutinous rice.
The place to Purchase Japanese Rice
You will discover Japanese rice at:
- On-line retailers and specialty shops
- Japanese grocery shops (e.g., Nijiya, Mitsuwa, Tokyo Central, Marukai Market)
- Asian grocery shops (e.g., H-Market, 99 Ranch)
- Mainstream shops (e.g., Walmart, Costco, Entire Meals, and Goal)
- My curated grocery record on Simply One Cookbook Amazon Storefront
Shopping for Japanese rice can really feel overwhelming with so many sorts and labels. Listed below are just a few useful tricks to information you:
- Search for short-grain or Japonica rice — that is the usual kind utilized in Japanese cooking. In case you can’t discover it, search for “medium-grain,” “Calrose,” or “sushi rice.”
- Test the harvest date — More energizing rice tastes higher! Search for labels indicating new crop (新米, shinmai), which denotes the freshest harvest.
- Selection — I all the time select Koshihikari selection for its shiny, plump grains, very best stickiness, refined sweetness, and flexibility in each on a regular basis dishes and sushi. However you may examine different varieties right here.
- Know the origin — Premium areas like Uonuma (Niigata) or Toyama are identified for high-quality Koshihikari rice.
- Select the trusted manufacturers — Be accustomed to really helpful manufacturers or manufacturers you’ve tried as soon as.
Greatest Manufacturers for Japanese Rice
Brief-Grain Rice
Nami’s Advice:
As somebody who’s been consuming Japanese rice her entire life, she recommends Koshihikari Rice from Toyama Prefecture (picture above), which is imported from Japan and obtainable at Nijiya Market.
She shared,
“Koshihikari was first developed in Uonuma (魚沼), a area in southern Niigata Prefecture. The realm is thought for its cool local weather, clear mountain water, and fertile soil—very best circumstances for rice farming. That’s why Uonuma Koshihikari is taken into account the gold commonplace of Japanese rice and infrequently ranked the perfect within the nation.
“Together with Uonuma, Toyama can also be identified for producing premium Koshihikari. We normally decide it up when it’s on sale at our native Japanese market. When cooked correctly— particularly in a donabe clay pot—you may inform the distinction straight away. The rice seems shiny, aromatic, naturally candy, and extremely satisfying!”
Different Advisable Manufacturers:
Medium-Grain Rice
Brown and GABA Rice
Ideas for Shopping for & Storing
- Purchase solely what you’ll use inside a month to make sure freshness.
- Retailer in an hermetic container. I now retailer my rice in a Paulownia Wooden Rice Container, which naturally regulates humidity and resists bugs to maintain it contemporary!
- Maintain in a cool, dry pantry away from daylight and warmth.
Regularly Requested Questions
Sushi rice is simply Japanese short-grain rice that’s been seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. The prepare itself is identical—the distinction is the way it’s ready.
Sure, Korean short-grain rice may be very comparable in texture to Japanese short-grain rice. It’s barely much less sticky however nonetheless tender and shiny, making it an ideal substitution in most Japanese dishes.
No. Jasmine rice is a long-grain selection that’s gentle, fluffy, and aromatic—but it surely lacks the stickiness wanted to carry sushi collectively. For genuine sushi texture and style, it’s greatest to make use of Japanese short-grain rice, which is of course sticky and barely candy.
Calrose rice is a medium-grain Japonica rice grown in California. It’s usually used as an alternative choice to Japanese rice, particularly outdoors Japan. Whereas it’s not as sticky or shiny as true Japanese short-grain rice like Koshihikari, it nonetheless has a mushy texture and gentle taste—making it choice for on a regular basis meals, and even sushi in a pinch.
Sure, all Japanese rice—each white and brown varieties—is of course gluten-free and low in fats. In case you’re in search of further fiber and vitamins, brown rice or GABA rice (germinated brown rice) is a good alternative.
Rice naturally absorbs extra arsenic from soil and water than different grains, however the ranges in Japanese rice and California-grown Japonica rice (like Calrose or Tamaki Gold) are usually low and protected when eaten as a part of a balanced eating regimen.
In case you’re managing diabetes, it’s greatest to decide on entire grain choices like brown rice, GABA rice, or Haiga rice. These have a decrease glycemic index and supply extra fiber.
Questions or Suggestions?
Do you’ve a favourite Japanese rice model we didn’t point out? Or perhaps you’ve extra questions on Japanese rice?
Be at liberty to go away a remark—we’d love to listen to from you!
Editor’s Notice: This publish was initially revealed on November 18, 2018. It was up to date on March 24, 2022, and republished with extra useful data on August 3, 2025.
