You have such a lovely and humble energy, just camelback from Japan so I am totally newbie in all, fell in love with Japanese food so your channel is the perfect place to be ❤
Tamanishiki is my favorite rice and it’s not even close. The zojirushi cooks it perfectly. I use it for my daily rice bowls and I use Nishiki for fried rice
I learned something new today, thanks! I never knew that short-grain rice is sticker than long-grain. I usually just get basmati rice, but now I'll have to try the short-grain variety 🙂
I’ll never forget the first time I tried Koshihikari! The clouds parted and sun shone on the Zojirushi which glimmered magically 🤣 I honestly can’t eat Nishiki since then.
OMG this reminded me, if I didn’t tell you thank you for the amazake recipe you posted a while back, so easy. Thank you. We usually buy Koshihikari rice and have had my Zojirushi for some years, total game changer even if only for rice. But the rice aisle is overwhelming especially in Little Tokyo markets.
I just started to watch your videos and love your themes, thank you for sharing your experiences! Looking forward to get to know how to cook Japanese recipes!
i am very grateful for your video, i suffered with this rice problem for almost 21 years of my life, i am so tempted to start cooking japanese food and the essential thing i was the most confused with, so you are a life saver! thanks and big love ♥
OMG! Many moons ago I knew a mixed family. She was from Nagashi. He was a US service man. Yes, she was there, but that's another story. They would invite us over for dinner. I so regret I didn't know to stand over her shoulder and watch her cook. The food WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. I know more about Japanese cuisine today, but back then in my 20'S was clueless. I remember her standing before the phone on the wall (remember those? ) bowing. HAI HAI! Oh I wish I had known what I known now. What a treasure I had, but was too stupid to understand.
@@thisjalife My memory is all the food was fried, including the veggies. OMG! They were wonderful . I think I would want to learn everything, but maybe Tempura in particular.😍
I like to add mochigome to my short grain Tamanishiki rice; I also was it once for every half cup of rice used (ie; 2 washes for one cup of rice, 3 washes for 1.5 cups of rice, 4 washes for 2 cups of rice etc...)
@@thisjalife Nutritionists say that adding mochigome to your regular rice helps you feel fuller longer and prevents huge spikes in your blood sugar; the mochigome is harder to digest - making your digestion take longer means your blood sugar curve is flattened and extended - a good thing for diabetics
@user-nh9vl8gp7p interesting my friend had her blood sugar spike with mochi thus I assume mochi rice but maybe it’s just the sweet mochi she was having!
I'm so interested in hearing more from you and your channel. I'm as white as the rice itself, but the food I grew up with always made me sad. I remember being in tears once as a little kid because my dad would make steak, and all I wanted was a big bowl of rice. Now that I'm out of the house, I've decided to follow the food that makes me happy, and I am consistently coming back to Japanese food. I tried making Onigiri recently and it just fed my soul. I ran out of my quick-microwave sticky rice bowls because i KEEP making it and was looking for what rice to buy to use with the rice cooker I just got. This helped me a lot, as did the comments below. I am going to try a bag of the Nishiki rice (5lbs) and see how well I like it.
We always have jasmine ( love the scent & taste), basmati & brown rice. You showed rice I've never heard of...now I want to try those. This was an interesting topic. I'm glad I ran across your channel & watched.
I only have long grain white because that’s what’s in my store, then I keep jasmine because I think it tastes the best, and basmati for when I need a different flavor. I have made onigiri with long grain, the trick is don’t wash it. That’s the only way it even has a chance to stick.
My Bae is Korean, so we eat a LOT of rice. Imported Korean rice is INSANELY expensive, so we only have it for holidays and super-special occasions. For the majority of meals we use the medium - Botan, Kokuho, Nishiki. I lived in India for a while (in Kochi), so before the export ban, I made dishes with Jeerakasala or Kaima rices (short-grain Basmati... but not Basmati enough to escape the ban LOL). For Plov or Chinese dishes, I use Jasmine. Also love Red, Purple, and Black rices (usually using them in the Korean dish Japgokbap). Due to my dad's Tuscan/Istrian family, Arborio is also in our pantry. I DO use Basmati, but that bin tends to stay pretty full in my pantry. I really prefer the short and medium grain rices. Washing? I admit I don't do it often. When I DO... fill the pot with water, drain, rinse... do that 'til the water is clear. Washing long grain or Basmati - TO ME - seems to make the rice come out mushy (again, so used to Korean/Japanese style rices, they ALREADY seem kind of mushy, so I hate making it worse LOL)
This was a fantastic video. I've been trying to find the right rice for Onigiri but I have Mochi rice instead of any of the other shorter grain variants. I hear Mochi isn't the best for Onigiri. I'll have to watch your Onigiri video, glad you have that!
@@thisjalife Just as an update for you; I picked up some calrose, made your onigiri for the family. Huuuge hit. Will be doing again shortly! I can't believe I haven't had it before
Japanese grown vs California grown short grain rice - any quality difference??? . Some call the california grown 'japanese' rice as well but they are not grown in Japan. if i want a very good premium tasting Japanese grown what would someone recommend? Do people think it matters? Japanese grown - i believe is Koshikari - California grown are Tamanishiki, Tamaki koshihikari gold. someone who has tried them and has an opinion please let me know what you're thinking. Thx!
I think most people call Japanese varieties “Japanese” rice even if it isn’t actually grown in Japan anymore. The price is quite higher usually for Japanese grown so I usually am ok with Tamaki or tamanishiki! Though I’m a huge Tamaki Haiga Mai fan!!
I grew up eating Kokuho Rose or Homai medium grain rice. California grown medium grain rices have been my go to rice for years. I am interested in trying various short grain rices available at import stores. I was taught to wash rice until the water is mostly clear. Also, what's your opinion on the value of expensive induction heater rice cookers versus more conventional rice cookers? Are they worth it? Do you need to use the expensive imported rice from Japan to notice the difference? Or will affordable medium grain rices benefit from the more expensive rice cookers?
Thanks for sharing and for your questions! I have a zojirushi rice cooker I use for various kinds of rice (expensive and not) and think it is worth it! You can check out my rice cooker review/comparison video here if you haven’t seen it yet! ua-cam.com/video/joHrHZ0NTBw/v-deo.html
@@thisjalife , thanks. I watched that video. Good info. Zojirushi keeps raising the bar for rice cookers. I am using a conventional Zojirushi rice cooker now. At some point, I'll make the leap to one of their higher end models.
I would use any of the Japanese short grain stickier rices but Haiga Mai is my preferred because of the nutrition while still tasting like white rice. I personally like the rice cooker best from a texture and ease of use sense but use what you have or works best for you!
@@thisjalife OK, ty. I bought a rice cooker and my first time using it...the rice didn't turn out so great. I'm going to try what you suggest though. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thank you again.
I love Tamanishiki Super Premium. However, it's pretty expensive. But I can't go back to long grain rice now. The taste is amazing plain. Kind of floral.
@@thisjalife Definitely. I'll eat plain short grain rice because of the taste it has. I've tried long grain rice plain, but it's just not the same. It does go great with certain dishes though.
@@thisjalife I spend money on Koshihikari white rice but buy the big bag of cheap Costco brown rice. You can soak the brown rice a few hours longer versus the 10 minutes for the white rice before mixing it to a 1:3 or 1:4 brown rice to white rice ratio before cooking in the Zojirushi, then it can even satisfy the discriminating Japanese grandma. Or soak the brown rice until it germinates to raise its status to germinated brown rice which would be better than the more expensive non-germinated Japanese brown rice. Also, you can use a bag of mixed beans with the same ratio of brown to white rice for a serving of mixed rice that has a higher nutritional content.
You don’t like any rice? Or those? They are pretty standard ones and i wouldn’t say the other Japanese rices are drastically different if you don’t like those
@@thisjalife I usually just have basmatti since that is waht my closest store provides, but when I visit an asian chain i usually try and get Kuma Koshihikari! I love it but when it is not there I am not sure what to get, that's why this video is such a gift haha :')
Arborio rice, commonly used in Italian dishes like risotto, has a higher starch content, resulting in a creamy texture. Japanese short-grain rice is stickier and fluffier. It clumps together when you try to pick up just the cooked rice!
I just picked up Nishiki at my local asian mart, this was recommended besides jasmine rice, along with sticky or sweet rice. I am looking for great quality every day rice, fluffy and tasty. So experiment i shall
Here in Australia, rice is clearly labelled by type but I've come to realise that the brand also makes a big difference. I bought some short grain rice because it was a bargain and it was awful - bland, boring, not enjoyable, Lashed out on a more premium bag, which WAS quite a few $$ more but WOW - that rice was really delicious, and really, per serve, it was still very good value - and less than crappy chips from Maccas!. Lesson learned! Cheers from Oz!!
Can you recommend a small white rice that when cooked will be sticky and on the softer side? Sounds like sushi rice… haha! I want to use a rice cooker for this rice also. Thank you!
@@thisjalife maybe I missed it; the best white sushi rice (sticky when done) for a rice cooker; something I can buy at the store or order online; your best recommendation? Thanks!
@Freak154l sorry I was thinking of this video! I go through my fav rices and have the links in the video description! ua-cam.com/video/08kLD-BJZa4/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
I’m very curious as to white rice types/brands are popular among the women in Japan so they don’t gain weight. My understanding is most Japanese grown rices are safe to eat and not gain weight. I gain weight on American grown rice…even Nishiki.
I never liked the smell of Jasmine or Basmati rice cooking. My husband loves rice and wanted to try short/medium grain rice because of his Korean colleague whose wife is now one of my dearest friends. She’s taught me so much about Asian cooking, but it’s all Korean based. I found Nishiki on Amazon at $6.49 for a 5 pound bag (her go to). We used that at first until I learned how to properly cook rice. As a gift my husband got me a rice cooker because the InstaPot made it super sticky and it was gummy. Now that I have a hang of cooking/prepping in my rice cooker, we want to try Tamanishiki, but $40 for a 15 pound bag is steep. Or Tamaki Gold California, yet again $55 for 15 pounds sounds crazy. What is your everyday go to rice. FYI, I prepare my rice with garlic chicken broth (homemade) and frozen mixed veggies. Any suggestions you can give is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
So I LOOOOVE the Tamaki Haiga mai but it is PRICY so I wait for sales to stock up. It is the taste of white rice with the nutrition of brown rice so perfect 💕 otherwise I get nishiki or tamanishiki. Have you seen my rice cooker video? Zojirushi is my go to and makes any Japanese rice taste better in my opinion!
@@thisjalife Lol, no dear, it's just what I usually end up with whenever I try cooking rice at home. I'm disabled and on fixed budget that leaves me $20 by the end fo the month usually, so I can't afford anything other than the generic white rice or any utilities to cook it in a way I'd prefer. So it's just a cheap aluminium sauce pan that excels at producing two kinds of rice. Mush rice, or undercooked rice (Snap, crackle, pop).. There's really no middle ground. If I use less water, even with small amounts of rice, it'll often just end up sticking to the pan and burning before it's all cooked. If I add more water than it just keeps soaking it up and turns into mush. Rice has always been a delicate dance for me that I almost never seem to win.. The only time I'm ever able make rice work is with "One pot meals" where I can just throw a bunch of stuff into pot and let it do its thing. Meals like Jambalaya, or among whatever else I've got I can just throw into the pot. Just as long as I have a portion of protein, veggies of some kind, and some pasta or startch. I can't afford to be picky. It's unfortunate food is so expensive, and is very likely the reason why I can barely eat and never lose weight and why I'm dying of heart failure. Eating healthy just isn't in the budget..
Hatsu- genmai (sprouted high-GABA brown rice) for me. Expensive here in Japan, but also in Canada. As a traveller I cannot afford a fancy rice cooker that germinates it for me. I find Japan to be a very strange place, particularly its import policies regarding Chinese rice which while perhaps lower quality, should be much cheaper. Must be political more than economic. USA grows rice too, of course. How do you find the quality versus price of homegrown? Curiously, while shopping for healthy varieties of rice in Canada, I find Korean stores to have a better selection than Japanese grocers (which are rare anyway). I think this is because Japanese emigrate less.
I think the quality is good enough compared to the price but if there is a special sale I’ll get the Japanese grown. I pay more for the Haiga rice though wherever it is made!
I use Nishiki rice for my Japanese. Growing in up in cal it was alway calrose rice. I usually make 1/2 and 1/2 medium and long rice together. The reason it moist and doesn't dry out in the frig. Also like for fried rice because doesn't get as sticky as medium rice. If I making sushi or onigiiri I use medium rice. Don't laugh I still like making rice on the stove. reason I don't like kogai. I still have my mom's old rice pot with a flang to keep it from boiling over.
@@thisjalife it was supposed to be a very basic one I saw online with just rice, furikake, and nori but i failed so badly that it turned into a rice bowl with nori, furikake, kewpie mayo, avocado, and some other stuff 😂
Occaisonaly I wash my rice. I started with Yan. I tryed swirl method did not work out. Then I saw american way. Add salt hakf teaspoon then vinegar teaspoon approx. Slap your rice in pan salt it , vingar it add water enough to cover. Mix briefly w. Fork, cover. Med. Heat until come to boil then stir maybe add more water it depend. Reduce heat. Cook another 15 to 20min. Unplug hot plate. Mix w. Fork. Enjoy! I use walmart rice 5lb bag. Also cal.rose 5 lb. Also nikko rice.😅
Arigatogozaimashita! If you use rice grown in the US, you need to wash it till the water is truly clear. Almost all Japanese rice (kome) grown in America is grown in California. Grown in the valley/dessert close to where they dumped lots of rocket fuel... My favorite kome is kohisikare from Japan, especially from Nigatta. Very expensive but steps above anything grown in the US. If you can't taste the difference, you have no tastebuds, brain dead, no toung, lying or never tried it cooked properly. (Bakajin) There are so many different short grain rices and such varing tastes. Most American grown (Japanese) rice don't compare to most grown in Japan. Many California rice's are more than acceptable for everyday consumption. It's always so nice to taste the real thing. Now and then.
Your question in the end of the video about how I wash my rice is an entire procedure of a mix from an old japanese rice chef cook master (YT: 五ツ星お米マイスター西島 豊造さんに教わる「美味しいお米の研ぎ方」 ), stumbling about some japanese forums and some, believe it or not, old animes. So I've learned a lot and so I do my rice: First 10 seconds are crucial and I "wash" the rice twice in that time using my beloved Inomata.0800 Rice Wash Bowl. I guess you know why. Then I polish the rice with my fingers 120 turns. I repeat this 3-4 times or 'til the water is clear. Then I put the rice in a pot of water (between 1.3 and 1.5 times as much water as rice and ... how my mood is) for at least an hour or over night or I do this procedure before I go to work. So I have the best rice ever when I get home. Bring it to boil in a thick walled pot (I have an electric stove) and turn off the heat completely. After 15 minutes I "quarter" the rice and flip it over. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. That's also crucial, too. Done! Just try it. It is totally worth it. Oh, I usually buy Basmati Rice, coz I'm totally in love with the smell and taste of it. Real (original) Japanese rice is hard to get where I live and Basmati is the best to buy here. Have a good time! ♥
Oh I forgot to mention: If you put more water to Basmati rice (1.5 up to 1.8), it also "sticks together" and tastes much chewier/smoother - not so "dry" like 1.3 ratio, but of course not like orig. jap. rice. Just interesting what I've learned over my past decades of life. ^-^
You have such a lovely and humble energy, just camelback from Japan so I am totally newbie in all, fell in love with Japanese food so your channel is the perfect place to be ❤
Thanks so much excited to have you here!! If you have requests let me know!
She look Chinese
Nishiki is a good balance between High Quality and Low price.I am addicted to it.
Yes a great option!
Same it's so chewy and delicious! Very unique texture
My second option to jasmine rice
Tamanishiki is my favorite rice and it’s not even close. The zojirushi cooks it perfectly. I use it for my daily rice bowls and I use Nishiki for fried rice
I use jasmine and short grain rice together. It gives a great taste and texture.
Together huh? I’ve mixed brown and white as well as white and Haiga!
I learned something new today, thanks! I never knew that short-grain rice is sticker than long-grain. I usually just get basmati rice, but now I'll have to try the short-grain variety 🙂
Yes, give it a try! Glad to hear you learned something new here 😃
My guess would be it's stickier because it is not rinsed prior to cooking.
Even with rinsing it is still sticker than others
I’ll never forget the first time I tried Koshihikari! The clouds parted and sun shone on the Zojirushi which glimmered magically 🤣 I honestly can’t eat Nishiki since then.
This has been the best comment 😆
OMG this reminded me, if I didn’t tell you thank you for the amazake recipe you posted a while back, so easy. Thank you. We usually buy Koshihikari rice and have had my Zojirushi for some years, total game changer even if only for rice. But the rice aisle is overwhelming especially in Little Tokyo markets.
I’m so glad!! Thanks for letting me know. The rice aisle can definitely be overwhelming among others!
I just started to watch your videos and love your themes, thank you for sharing your experiences! Looking forward to get to know how to cook Japanese recipes!
Thanks so much for your kind words and for being here! Which have been your favorite? I always love feedback!
i am very grateful for your video, i suffered with this rice problem for almost 21 years of my life, i am so tempted to start cooking japanese food and the essential thing i was the most confused with, so you are a life saver! thanks and big love ♥
Glad to help - which one(s) did you choose?
OMG! Many moons ago I knew a mixed family. She was from Nagashi. He was a US service man. Yes, she was there, but that's another story. They would invite us over for dinner. I so regret I didn't know to stand over her shoulder and watch her cook. The food WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. I know more about Japanese cuisine today, but back then in my 20'S was clueless. I remember her standing before the phone on the wall (remember those? ) bowing. HAI HAI! Oh I wish I had known what I known now. What a treasure I had, but was too stupid to understand.
Awww how fun!! Thanks for sharing! What would you most want to learn to cook?
@@thisjalife My memory is all the food was fried, including the veggies. OMG! They were wonderful . I think I would want to learn everything, but maybe Tempura in particular.😍
@bruscifer oohhh tempura! I’ve been to specialty tempura places like in my Kyoto video and it was out of this world!!
I like to add mochigome to my short grain Tamanishiki rice; I also was it once for every half cup of rice used (ie; 2 washes for one cup of rice, 3 washes for 1.5 cups of rice, 4 washes for 2 cups of rice etc...)
Love that! I usually only do it for takikomi gohan but great idea!
@@thisjalife
Nutritionists say that adding mochigome to your regular rice helps you feel fuller longer and prevents huge spikes in your blood sugar; the mochigome is harder to digest - making your digestion take longer means your blood sugar curve is flattened and extended - a good thing for diabetics
@user-nh9vl8gp7p interesting my friend had her blood sugar spike with mochi thus I assume mochi rice but maybe it’s just the sweet mochi she was having!
I'm so interested in hearing more from you and your channel. I'm as white as the rice itself, but the food I grew up with always made me sad. I remember being in tears once as a little kid because my dad would make steak, and all I wanted was a big bowl of rice. Now that I'm out of the house, I've decided to follow the food that makes me happy, and I am consistently coming back to Japanese food.
I tried making Onigiri recently and it just fed my soul. I ran out of my quick-microwave sticky rice bowls because i KEEP making it and was looking for what rice to buy to use with the rice cooker I just got. This helped me a lot, as did the comments below. I am going to try a bag of the Nishiki rice (5lbs) and see how well I like it.
I’m so glad it was helpful! If you have specific requests on what you want to see, happy to hear it!
💛...calrose, kokuho...i still have the cloth bags from many years ago...wash until water runs clear...and, water up to the first knuckle...
Oh classic technique! And the cloth bags!!!
We always have jasmine ( love the scent & taste), basmati & brown rice.
You showed rice I've never heard of...now I want to try those.
This was an interesting topic. I'm glad I ran across your channel & watched.
So glad you’re here! Definitely worth a try!
Botan Calrose is my goto mainly because its price point and availability plus taste ALL work .
I only have long grain white because that’s what’s in my store, then I keep jasmine because I think it tastes the best, and basmati for when I need a different flavor. I have made onigiri with long grain, the trick is don’t wash it. That’s the only way it even has a chance to stick.
Interesting thanks for the tip! No short or medium grain at your store huh?
Loved this video thank you!
You’re welcome, glad it was helpful and thanks for letting me know!
This is so great. Thank you so much. Trying to learn how to cook Japanese rice and it's so helpful.
Glad it was helpful! I always take requests on any other questions!
You had me at OXO. There is probably no brand I love more in the world than OXO. Consistent top quality at a fair price.
Omg agreed they make the best products!!!
Thanks for the great guide
Glad it was helpful! What’s your go to rice?
My Bae is Korean, so we eat a LOT of rice. Imported Korean rice is INSANELY expensive, so we only have it for holidays and super-special occasions. For the majority of meals we use the medium - Botan, Kokuho, Nishiki. I lived in India for a while (in Kochi), so before the export ban, I made dishes with Jeerakasala or Kaima rices (short-grain Basmati... but not Basmati enough to escape the ban LOL). For Plov or Chinese dishes, I use Jasmine. Also love Red, Purple, and Black rices (usually using them in the Korean dish Japgokbap). Due to my dad's Tuscan/Istrian family, Arborio is also in our pantry. I DO use Basmati, but that bin tends to stay pretty full in my pantry. I really prefer the short and medium grain rices. Washing? I admit I don't do it often. When I DO... fill the pot with water, drain, rinse... do that 'til the water is clear. Washing long grain or Basmati - TO ME - seems to make the rice come out mushy (again, so used to Korean/Japanese style rices, they ALREADY seem kind of mushy, so I hate making it worse LOL)
So detailed thanks!! We love all kinds of rice depending on the dish too!!
This was a fantastic video. I've been trying to find the right rice for Onigiri but I have Mochi rice instead of any of the other shorter grain variants. I hear Mochi isn't the best for Onigiri. I'll have to watch your Onigiri video, glad you have that!
Thank you! It’s definitely not the worst but if I’m using mochi rice I usually mix it with short grain!
Way better than Jasmine, basmati or other long grain rice!
@@thisjalife Wow! Thanks for your quick replies. Really appreciate it!
Absolutely!
@@thisjalife Just as an update for you; I picked up some calrose, made your onigiri for the family. Huuuge hit. Will be doing again shortly! I can't believe I haven't had it before
I have nishiki.. exactly what you advise. It’s yummy and pricing is good!! Living in Hawaii everything is more expensive!!
I was surprised how expensive groceries were in Hawaii!
Japanese grown vs California grown short grain rice - any quality difference??? . Some call the california grown 'japanese' rice as well but they are not grown in Japan.
if i want a very good premium tasting Japanese grown what would someone recommend? Do people think it matters?
Japanese grown - i believe is Koshikari - California grown are Tamanishiki, Tamaki koshihikari gold.
someone who has tried them and has an opinion please let me know what you're thinking. Thx!
I think most people call Japanese varieties “Japanese” rice even if it isn’t actually grown in Japan anymore. The price is quite higher usually for Japanese grown so I usually am ok with Tamaki or tamanishiki! Though I’m a huge Tamaki Haiga Mai fan!!
@@thisjalife thx for the info. and the recommendations!
@pepino1618 always! Any requests are always welcome!
I grew up eating Kokuho Rose or Homai medium grain rice. California grown medium grain rices have been my go to rice for years. I am interested in trying various short grain rices available at import stores.
I was taught to wash rice until the water is mostly clear.
Also, what's your opinion on the value of expensive induction heater rice cookers versus more conventional rice cookers? Are they worth it? Do you need to use the expensive imported rice from Japan to notice the difference? Or will affordable medium grain rices benefit from the more expensive rice cookers?
Thanks for sharing and for your questions! I have a zojirushi rice cooker I use for various kinds of rice (expensive and not) and think it is worth it! You can check out my rice cooker review/comparison video here if you haven’t seen it yet! ua-cam.com/video/joHrHZ0NTBw/v-deo.html
@@thisjalife , thanks. I watched that video. Good info. Zojirushi keeps raising the bar for rice cookers. I am using a conventional Zojirushi rice cooker now. At some point, I'll make the leap to one of their higher end models.
What rice do you suggest for teriyaki chicken? Also, do you suggest using a rice cooker to make the rice?
I would use any of the Japanese short grain stickier rices but Haiga Mai is my preferred because of the nutrition while still tasting like white rice. I personally like the rice cooker best from a texture and ease of use sense but use what you have or works best for you!
@@thisjalife OK, ty. I bought a rice cooker and my first time using it...the rice didn't turn out so great. I'm going to try what you suggest though. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thank you again.
Which rice cooker do you have?
I love Tamanishiki Super Premium. However, it's pretty expensive. But I can't go back to long grain rice now. The taste is amazing plain. Kind of floral.
Yes long grain has its place depending on the cuisine but I do love my expensive rice 😆
@@thisjalife Definitely. I'll eat plain short grain rice because of the taste it has. I've tried long grain rice plain, but it's just not the same. It does go great with certain dishes though.
@kensclark 💯
@@thisjalife I spend money on Koshihikari white rice but buy the big bag of cheap Costco brown rice. You can soak the brown rice a few hours longer versus the 10 minutes for the white rice before mixing it to a 1:3 or 1:4 brown rice to white rice ratio before cooking in the Zojirushi, then it can even satisfy the discriminating Japanese grandma. Or soak the brown rice until it germinates to raise its status to germinated brown rice which would be better than the more expensive non-germinated Japanese brown rice. Also, you can use a bag of mixed beans with the same ratio of brown to white rice for a serving of mixed rice that has a higher nutritional content.
@lym3204 all fantastic tips!
I've always used Botan Calrose and Nishiki, and I'm wondering if it's the reason I don't like rice, going to try the more premium brands.
You don’t like any rice? Or those? They are pretty standard ones and i wouldn’t say the other Japanese rices are drastically different if you don’t like those
I have thought of bringing Japanese green rice to my country as a comparison to what we have here in Kuwait
Green rice?
i needed this!! really fun video, thanks mom ;-;
Of course! What’s your usual rice?
@@thisjalife I usually just have basmatti since that is waht my closest store provides, but when I visit an asian chain i usually try and get Kuma Koshihikari! I love it but when it is not there I am not sure what to get, that's why this video is such a gift haha :')
@noodlepc3662 glad it was a gift for you!!
Requesting the takikomi gohan video, please please pretty please! We would looove that!
Noted!! Thanks 😁
Greetings from the "DMV"
same here, I'm interested in takikomi gohan video
Noted on the Takikomi gohan! Are you at the actual DMV or is that an acronym I’m not aware of?
Very interesting. Can you please tell me, how does Japanese short grain rice differ from Italian risotto rice as that is short grain also?
Arborio rice, commonly used in Italian dishes like risotto, has a higher starch content, resulting in a creamy texture. Japanese short-grain rice is stickier and fluffier. It clumps together when you try to pick up just the cooked rice!
I just picked up Nishiki at my local asian mart, this was recommended besides jasmine rice, along with sticky or sweet rice. I am looking for great quality every day rice, fluffy and tasty. So experiment i shall
The Haiga Mai is my favorite for anytime but it’s a pretty penny
@@thisjalife i will look for it
Here in Australia, rice is clearly labelled by type but I've come to realise that the brand also makes a big difference. I bought some short grain rice because it was a bargain and it was awful - bland, boring, not enjoyable, Lashed out on a more premium bag, which WAS quite a few $$ more but WOW - that rice was really delicious, and really, per serve, it was still very good value - and less than crappy chips from Maccas!. Lesson learned! Cheers from Oz!!
I’m so glad!!! Also the rice cooker can make a bit of a difference too.
Can you recommend a small white rice that when cooked will be sticky and on the softer side? Sounds like sushi rice… haha! I want to use a rice cooker for this rice also. Thank you!
Beyond what I mentioned in the video?
@@thisjalife maybe I missed it; the best white sushi rice (sticky when done) for a rice cooker; something I can buy at the store or order online; your best recommendation? Thanks!
@Freak154l sorry I was thinking of this video! I go through my fav rices and have the links in the video description!
ua-cam.com/video/08kLD-BJZa4/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
iv been using sukina sushi rice, which apiers to just be short grain japanese rice
Oh I hadn’t heard of sukina!
Which rice would they serve in a bowl at a Japanese restaurant?
Most likely the standard Japanese white rice! Some places will definitely have some if the fancier rices but normally not haiga mai!
I have Calrose and Jasmine. So medium and long grains.
Are those your go tos?
Which one do they use for sake?
I’ve never made sake myself but it’s usually short grain like the nishiki or koshihikari from what I understand!
I’m very curious as to white rice types/brands are popular among the women in Japan so they don’t gain weight. My understanding is most Japanese grown rices are safe to eat and not gain weight. I gain weight on American grown rice…even Nishiki.
I never liked the smell of Jasmine or Basmati rice cooking. My husband loves rice and wanted to try short/medium grain rice because of his Korean colleague whose wife is now one of my dearest friends. She’s taught me so much about Asian cooking, but it’s all Korean based. I found Nishiki on Amazon at $6.49 for a 5 pound bag (her go to). We used that at first until I learned how to properly cook rice. As a gift my husband got me a rice cooker because the InstaPot made it super sticky and it was gummy. Now that I have a hang of cooking/prepping in my rice cooker, we want to try Tamanishiki, but $40 for a 15 pound bag is steep. Or Tamaki Gold California, yet again $55 for 15 pounds sounds crazy. What is your everyday go to rice. FYI, I prepare my rice with garlic chicken broth (homemade) and frozen mixed veggies. Any suggestions you can give is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
So I LOOOOVE the Tamaki Haiga mai but it is PRICY so I wait for sales to stock up. It is the taste of white rice with the nutrition of brown rice so perfect 💕 otherwise I get nishiki or tamanishiki. Have you seen my rice cooker video? Zojirushi is my go to and makes any Japanese rice taste better in my opinion!
Nishiki has a cheaper Haiga Mai also with similar nutrients but it doesn’t taste AS good as Tamaki amzn.to/46c1BbT
I have two kinds of rice. Mush pudding or Snap, Crackle, and POP..
Mush pudding? Is that like the dessert?
@@thisjalife Lol, no dear, it's just what I usually end up with whenever I try cooking rice at home. I'm disabled and on fixed budget that leaves me $20 by the end fo the month usually, so I can't afford anything other than the generic white rice or any utilities to cook it in a way I'd prefer. So it's just a cheap aluminium sauce pan that excels at producing two kinds of rice. Mush rice, or undercooked rice (Snap, crackle, pop).. There's really no middle ground. If I use less water, even with small amounts of rice, it'll often just end up sticking to the pan and burning before it's all cooked. If I add more water than it just keeps soaking it up and turns into mush. Rice has always been a delicate dance for me that I almost never seem to win.. The only time I'm ever able make rice work is with "One pot meals" where I can just throw a bunch of stuff into pot and let it do its thing. Meals like Jambalaya, or among whatever else I've got I can just throw into the pot. Just as long as I have a portion of protein, veggies of some kind, and some pasta or startch. I can't afford to be picky. It's unfortunate food is so expensive, and is very likely the reason why I can barely eat and never lose weight and why I'm dying of heart failure. Eating healthy just isn't in the budget..
Nishiki, Botan, Maruyu are all common for sushi in America. I would say Nishiki is the easy go to.
Yes, agree with that! I haven’t seen Maruyu
Tamaki Gold is our favorite.
Good choice!
Hatsu- genmai (sprouted high-GABA brown rice) for me. Expensive here in Japan, but also in Canada. As a traveller I cannot afford a fancy rice cooker that germinates it for me.
I find Japan to be a very strange place, particularly its import policies regarding Chinese rice which while perhaps lower quality, should be much cheaper. Must be political more than economic. USA grows rice too, of course. How do you find the quality versus price of homegrown?
Curiously, while shopping for healthy varieties of rice in Canada, I find Korean stores to have a better selection than Japanese grocers (which are rare anyway). I think this is because Japanese emigrate less.
I think the quality is good enough compared to the price but if there is a special sale I’ll get the Japanese grown. I pay more for the Haiga rice though wherever it is made!
I use Nishiki rice for my Japanese. Growing in up in cal it was alway calrose rice. I usually make 1/2 and 1/2 medium and long rice
together. The reason it moist and doesn't dry out in the frig. Also like for fried rice because doesn't get as sticky as medium rice.
If I making sushi or onigiiri I use medium rice. Don't laugh I still like making rice on the stove. reason I don't like kogai. I still have my mom's old rice pot with a flang to keep it from boiling over.
I’m not laughing at all! A lot of people do, I just find it less stress with a rice cooker, set it and forget it 😆
Thank you thank you thank you!! I tried to make onigiri and was very confused why my lovely and delicious jasmine rice wasn’t working 😂😂😂
Yes crucial!! What kind of onigiri did you end up making?
@@thisjalife it was supposed to be a very basic one I saw online with just rice, furikake, and nori but i failed so badly that it turned into a rice bowl with nori, furikake, kewpie mayo, avocado, and some other stuff 😂
Good save!! I’m making another onigiri video soon!
@@thisjalife oooh! I can’t wait to watch😀
Hakubai premium sweet rice and jasmine rice and black rice
Great choices! Love black rice too
Occaisonaly I wash my rice. I started with Yan. I tryed swirl method did not work out. Then I saw american way. Add salt hakf teaspoon then vinegar teaspoon approx. Slap your rice in pan salt it , vingar it add water enough to cover. Mix briefly w. Fork, cover. Med. Heat until come to boil then stir maybe add more water it depend. Reduce heat. Cook another 15 to 20min. Unplug hot plate. Mix w. Fork. Enjoy! I use walmart rice 5lb bag. Also cal.rose 5 lb. Also nikko rice.😅
Yan? Is that the brand?
Arigatogozaimashita!
If you use rice grown in the US, you need to wash it till the water is truly clear.
Almost all Japanese rice (kome) grown in America is grown in California.
Grown in the valley/dessert close to where they dumped lots of rocket fuel...
My favorite kome is kohisikare from Japan, especially from Nigatta. Very expensive but steps above anything grown in the US.
If you can't taste the difference, you have no tastebuds, brain dead, no toung, lying or never tried it cooked properly.
(Bakajin)
There are so many different short grain rices and such varing tastes.
Most American grown (Japanese) rice don't compare to most grown in Japan.
Many California rice's are more than acceptable for everyday consumption.
It's always so nice to taste the real thing. Now and then.
My main staple was bread with a meal. I am moving away from processed foods and loaf of breads.
I get that sentiment - does that mean you're trying to do more rice instead of bread or other grains?
I use calrose cuz that's what we use for our middle eastern cuisine so there's usually a 10lb bag at home
Nice, a good widely available option!
Sorry to bother you, but does Japan doesn’t produce long grain rice
Short and medium is what you see. Long grain isn’t popular but if I’m making a different cuisine I’ll get it, just not considered “Japanese rice”
Nishiki rice is king
Have you tried Haiga Mai?
Kokuho, Three Ladies and Basmati rice
For Japanese rice or you’re saying that’s what you usually use?
Your effort to pronounce the rice brands is commended.
So annoying to hear bloggers unable to respect other's language and culture.
I tend to debate whether to say it with the Japanese way or Americanized way since I can say it either way!
@@thisjalife That was quick...I also was referring to how you used Italian and Spanish inflections, as in Paella....Hello From Sydney, Australia. N
@Nawanda ahhh gotcha!! I try and hello 💕
Hi- new to your chsnnel❤
Thank you for saying hi, and welcome!!! Was this the first video you saw??
Native American wild rice baby!
Ohhhh I love wild rice!!! How do you like to cook it? On its own or with other grains?
@@thisjalife love it in its own with a little butter, garlic and salt. Great as a side with salmon or poultry.
@Thrash230723 I remember thanksgivings with it as a side!
Where I live the best we got is Uncle Ben’s 🤦🏻♀️
Now I’m curious, where?
❤
Which ones have you had?
Basmati all day 💪🏻
for any dish?
@@thisjalife
Absolutely
Even Japanese dishes?
Don’t like shorts. Ugh
Short grain? Or short pants?
@@thisjalife best answer ever ^-^
😆
Rice is rice. It generally hard to manage. Just ad pinch baking soda and white vinegar to water. It come up fine.😅
Baking soda and vinegar???
Your question in the end of the video about how I wash my rice is an entire procedure of a mix from an old japanese rice chef cook master (YT: 五ツ星お米マイスター西島 豊造さんに教わる「美味しいお米の研ぎ方」
), stumbling about some japanese forums and some, believe it or not, old animes. So I've learned a lot and so I do my rice: First 10 seconds are crucial and I "wash" the rice twice in that time using my beloved Inomata.0800 Rice Wash Bowl. I guess you know why.
Then I polish the rice with my fingers 120 turns. I repeat this 3-4 times or 'til the water is clear. Then I put the rice in a pot of water (between 1.3 and 1.5 times as much water as rice and ... how my mood is) for at least an hour or over night or I do this procedure before I go to work. So I have the best rice ever when I get home. Bring it to boil in a thick walled pot (I have an electric stove) and turn off the heat completely. After 15 minutes I "quarter" the rice and flip it over. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. That's also crucial, too. Done! Just try it. It is totally worth it. Oh, I usually buy Basmati Rice, coz I'm totally in love with the smell and taste of it. Real (original) Japanese rice is hard to get where I live and Basmati is the best to buy here.
Have a good time! ♥
Oh I forgot to mention: If you put more water to Basmati rice (1.5 up to 1.8), it also "sticks together" and tastes much chewier/smoother - not so "dry" like 1.3 ratio, but of course not like orig. jap. rice. Just interesting what I've learned over my past decades of life. ^-^
Thanks for sharing!!
Where are you joining me from?
@@thisjalife North-Germany, unfortunately.
@LonesomeTinkerbell I was just curious!