Table of Contents
- 1. Nishiki Medium Grain Rice
- 2. Shirakiku Rice, Koshihikari
- 3. Tamanishiki Super Premium Short Grain Rice
- 4. California short grain rice By Botan
- 5. Kokuho Rose Rice
- 6. Nozomi Super Premium Short Grain Rice
- 7. Tamaki Gold Rice California Koshihikari Short Grain
- 8. Koda Farms Kokuho Rose Heirloom Japanese Style Rice
- 9. Sekka Extra Fancy Premium Grain Brown Rice
- 10. Soeos Premium Sushi Rice
- Best Japanese Rice Buying Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
If ever you visit the Japanese grocery store, you will find a variety of Japanese rice offered by various brands. Sometimes it is confusing for rice lovers to which brand and type they pick and make their favorite dish.
Various varieties of rice are available in the markets which are grown in various regions of the world. But Japanese rice is one of the most popular varieties due to its sticky nature and widely used in sushi rolls that is the most favorite food in Japan. The other popular varieties of rice are Indian Basmati and Italian Arborio.
In this article, we select the most popular and top brands of Japanese rice, especially for rice lovers. All these brands offer rice with balanced and only essential fats, carbohydrates, and fibers as well. Also, you can easily cook these brands at home and cook your favorite dish with delicious taste.
It helps you to select the right brand and get the same taste that you are expecting from Japanese rice. Let’s take a brief look at all brands one by one.
1. Nishiki Medium Grain Rice
Nishiki is one of the most popular rice brands that are widely used to make various rice dishes, including sushi, stick, and sake. Nishiki rice is grown in some areas of California and comes in two verities, i.e., brown rice & white rice.
The specialty of Nishiki is that it is rich in calories as compared to standard quality white rice but has fewer fats. The stickiness of this rice makes it a perfect option to use in sushi rolls as well as people also like to eat it with chopsticks. It is famous among people from around the world due to its taste.
The process of milling the Nishiki rice is different from the milling process of other rice brands. The process of Nishiki rice milling is known as munsenmai (no-wash-rice). In this process, rice is mixed with water and heated tapioca. The rice brans stick with heated tapioca and float over the water.
The rice is then rinsed off, and the tapioca is removed on the last along with rice bran.
Key Features:
- Require Less Water For Cooking: This rice quality requires less water quantity while cooking the rice as compared to other rice qualities, and also there is no need for pre-rinsing of rice before cooking.
- Low Carbohydrates: Although both varieties of Nishiki rice contain a low level of carbohydrates, brown rice has a further 1% lower level than the white rice variety. Also, it contains only 3 grams of protein along with 2% iron.
- Easy To Cook: It is easy to cook this rice, just add 1.5 cups of water in 1 cup of rice and boil on the mild heat for up to 20 minutes.
- Medium grain rice
- Low sugar level
- Premium grade quality
- Fantastic taste
- Low-quality packing
2. Shirakiku Rice, Koshihikari
Koshihikari is another popular brand for providing high-quality Japanese rice. This rice quality is mostly used in sushi dish and people like its little sweetie taste and sticky texture. As sushi recipe requires short white grains with a certain level of stickiness, and it is an excellent option to enhance the taste of sushi.
This rice quality is harvested mostly in japan; however, it is harvested in a few other countries, including California. That’s why it is also famous as Calrose rice. If you want to try sushi at home, then Shirakiku Rice helps to get the best taste of sushi that you always remember.
It is non-GMO verified and free from preservatives and additives.
Key Features:
- Zero Fats: It is free from saturated and Trans fats that are considered unhealthy, and it attracts a lot of rice lovers, but they don’t want to gain more fats.
- Carbohydrates: The 36gm of Shirakiku rice contains 12% carbohydrates, and the level of dietary fibers remains at 0% that makes it free from an unhealthy diet.
- Easy To Warm Up Cooked Rice: It is natural that cooked foods get cold after some time of cooking, but it is easy to warm it up again by using a microwave oven. It provides you the same taste as it is cooked just now.
- Sweetish taste
- Used in various recipes
- Non-GMO verified
- Short grain rice
- Comes with broken grains in the packing
Tamanishiki is a popular brand and offers a wide range of premium quality and healthy food products for its users for a long time. Tamanishiki never compromises on the quality of rice and always tries to get rice from fertile lands that also provide assurance of consistent quality.
This supplier has a strong production network with neighborhood cultivators, and it helps to assure the quality of rice. The rice from this supplier is collected under the supervision of Indian agricultural experts and grown under controlled environments. Also, they store the rice in warehouses in infeasible conditions to makes its taste better.
It is easy for users to cook this rice quality with a variety of recipes and in different ways. You can either cook it on the stove, in an electric rice cooker or in a microwave. You can get the same taste and rice quality either way.
Key Features:
- Grown In California: This rice quality is grown in California and widely used in prestigious Japanese restaurants operated in the USA and other countries of the world. Restaurants use this variety of dishes, including sushi rolls.
- Rich Flavor: This rice is the combination of Yumegokochi and Koshihikari rice qualities; that’s why it offers a fantastic and rich flavor.
- Natural Product: It is grown up naturally without the use of any hazardous sprays; that’s why users can take it as a healthy product.
- Also known as California short grain rice
- White rice
- Affordable price
- Sticky texture
- Shipping takes excessive time
4. California short grain rice By Botan
Botan is famous for providing various types of rice that grown up in different regions of the world. Botan provides this premium quality short-grain rice that was introduced and harvested in California since 1948. That’s why it is also famous as Calrose rice and widely used by people worldwide.
It is easy to cook this rice quality, just add two cups of water in 1-1/2 cups of rice and boil on a low heat for up to 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed properly in the rice. You can also cook this rice in an electric rice cooker, but make sure to follow the instructions provided by the cooker manufacturer to avoid any problem in taste.
Key Features:
- Kosher Certified: It is certified from Kosher and fulfills the various dietary needs that make it a safe and healthy diet for humans.
- Suitable To Use In Various Recopies: You can use this rice quality in different types of foods, including a sushi roll, rice pudding, and various other Asian recipes, especially.
- Balanced Diet: This rice comes with a balanced level of potassium along with dietary fiber that helps to improve the health condition.
- Tender texture
- Delicate flavor
- Suitable to use in both sweet and savory dishes
- Milled in California
- Production is not certified as organic
5. Kokuho Rose Rice
Kokusho rose rice is considered as the superior quality rice and many other claims as to their competitors by offering the competitive quality but never meet the taste of this brand. This rice quality was introduced by Koda farms in 1963, and still, it is the property of the Koda family even after three generations.
Although the copyrights are owned by the Koda family, and now some farmers in California start growing this quality. This rice quality is fully grown up within the US lands and marketed as a gluten-free product.
Furthermore, it is easy to cook this rice in the shape of different dishes and takes about 15 minutes to complete the cooking process.
Key Features:
- Multiple Cooking Options: You can either cooks it on a stove, boil it, or cook in the microwave oven or even in an electric rice cooker. You can get a similar and natural taste either way.
- Low Cholesterol Level: This rice quality has a low cholesterol level along with zero saturated fats that makes it safe for health.
- Water Polished: It comes polished with water; that’s why the users don’t need to wash them before cooking.
- Medium grain milled rice
- Wheat-free rice
- Kosher certified
- Extra fancy rice
- Made in sophisticated environments
- More sticky for some applications
Nozomi offers to provide super-premium short-grain rice, which is an excellent option to use in various Japanese dishes. It doesn’t require any special preparation or treatment before putting in the pan for cooking. You can use it in a variety of dishes, including chicken rice food, creamy rice, gumbo, and many others.
This rice quality offers a fantastic taste and cant stick together irrespective of the recipe and the way of cooking. Furthermore, this rice is an excellent option for people who like to eat rice every day, but their health conditions don’t allow them to do so. It comes with zero fats and low levels of cholesterol, along with sodium that is necessary to keep you energetic and healthy.
Key Features:
• Grown-Up In Mantna Farms: This rice quality is entirely grown up in California by using state of the art farming techniques to ensure the consistent quality of rice.
• Delicate Texture: It was developed by using one of the highest quality Japanese rice “Koshihikari” that’s why it offers similar delicate texture and flavor.
• Sweeter Taste: It offers a sweeter taste as compared to other short-grained rice. That’s why a lot of people from many countries prefer to purchase them.
- Premium sushi rice
- GMO-free
- Short grain rice
- Harvested in fertile lands
- Difficult to reheat the rice after cooking
7. Tamaki Gold Rice California Koshihikari Short Grain
Tamaki offers a wide variety of short-grain rice that is developed to use in sushi. But the Tamaki Gold rice is one of the top brands from Tamaki Corporation that people like to eat with sushi rolls due to its premium quality.
Tamaki Corporation always tries to maintain the high quality and richness in rice; that’s why people from around the world like to eat it regularly.
This rice was developed by using traditional farming techniques along with modern milling technologies to introduce premium quality rice that offers a delicious taste. The combination of both technologies helps to harvest the rice that is rich in taste and always comes with consistent quality.
Key Features:
- Finest Koshihikari Paddies: Finest quality koshihikari paddies are used in the development process to make it perfect for sushi rolls and various other Japanese meals as well.
- Convenient Packing: It comes with different packing weights in the range of 1 to 4.4 pounds that make it easy for the users to purchase the quantity as per their needs.
- Perfect Stickiness: This rice quality comes with perfect stickiness, and even you can use this rice to make sushi rolls at home with delicious taste.
- Fine quality packing
- Suitable to use in various recipes
- Affordable price
- Premium quality short grain rice
- Difficult to save in the same packing once opened
8. Koda Farms Kokuho Rose Heirloom Japanese Style Rice
Koda Farms introduces its Kokuho rose heirloom rice about 60 years ago and provides a delicious taste with a great texture. This Japanese style rice was awarded subtle floral flavor, tender texture, and it leaves a refreshing, slightly sweet aftertaste.
It is harvested by the third generation of Koda family in the unique microclimate of Joaquin valley of California. The Koda family works in this field since 1910 and owns a variety of rice with their hard-working and never compromises on the quality in any condition.
Koda farms are famous for meeting all the aspects of growing and harvesting for maintaining the quality of rice. They apply strict and high standards from seed nurseries to cultivation, milling, and packing process as well.
Key Features:
- Sustainable Farming Practices: The farming practices are designed that supports the nesting as well as feeding habitat for shoreline birds. Also, it is verified and approved by nature conservancy and Audubon society.
- GMO-Free: This rice quality is certified and free from GMOs that make it perfect and safe to eat for health.
- Friction Polished: This white rice is obtained by sending the brown rice in a friction polishing process that helps to remove the bran and make it disease-free.
- Gluten-free
- Farmed in California
- Use in recipes of different countries
- Provide superior table rice experience
- Taste is not extraordinary
Sekka is another popular brand of rice and famous for providing medium grain rice. This rice is mostly used in various countries of china and available commonly in supermarkets as well as in Chinatowns across North America.
This rice is specifically developed for use in sushi rice along with various other Asian dishes. It comes in attractive packing of the pink color bag with a transparent portion that let the customers see the inside rice. You can easily view the grain integrity as well as it is easy to find how much grains are cracked or broken.
For the easiness of handling, the bag comes with a yellow grip on the top of the bag so that buyers can easily lift it.
Key Features:
- Firm & Shiny Grains: This rice quality is perfect for various types of dishes, including onigiri, bibimbap, and sushi. Also, it doesn’t get mushy if you take proper care of this rice quality while cooking.
- Available In Different Weight Packing: It comes in the packing of one, two, or three and let the buyers purchase the number of bags as per their needs and requirements. Also, you can get the rice at a discounted price on purchasing a higher quantity.
- Easy To Reheat: You can save the cooked rice in the freezer and can reheat when you want by using a microwave oven. You can enjoy the same taste, just like freshly cooked rice.
- Sweet taste
- Great springy texture
- Easy to cook
- Perfect for various dishes
- Little expensive
Soeos is the last review of Japanese rice on our list. It is a premium quality white rice quality which is grown and cultivated in southern California. This rice quality is famous due to its sticky texture and comes in a medium grain style.
The sticky nature of this rice makes it ideal for rice for use in sushi, and you can cook your sushi at home by using this rice. It will provide you the same delicious taste that you every get from expensive rice brands.
Also, it let the rice lovers make various rice dishes with this quality, including rice balls, porridge, and many others.
Key Features:
- Cook without Water: If you don’t want to use water while cooking the rice, then you can use steam for cooking and get the same delicious taste similar to boil with water.
- Free From Talc: It comes without using any artificial talc that is usually used in many rice brands for inserting flavor or scent.
- Perfect For Salads & Soups: This rice quality is soft and sticky as well as have the properties to stay together in salads and soups.
- White sticky rice
- Zero fats
- Low calories
- Medium grain rice
- Expensive as compared to competitors
Best Japanese Rice Buying Guide
Japanese rice is famous for used in sushi rolls due to its stickiness properties, but it can also be used in various other Asian dishes. That’s why you need to purchase the right brand and variety to meet your taste expectations.
The following are the few things that you must consider while selecting the brand or variety.
Easy To Cook
As we know, rice is one of the most popular crops that are widely grown by people from different countries. Therefore, the way of cooking the rice varies from region to region and recipe to recipe as well.
Some people like to eat boiled rice while some like to cook in rice cookers, and some like to cook in the microwave oven. Therefore, must check that the rice quality is feasible to cook in the same way that you want.
Also, some rice qualities required to pre-rinse the rice before cooking while some don’t require washing. It not only beneficial for water savings but also lets the rice lovers prepare the rice in a short time.
Type Of Rice
Rice comes in different types and qualities, i.e., short-grain rice, medium-grain rice, and long grain rice. It depends on the rice lovers what type of rice they like to eat.
Usually, short-grain rice comes with higher starch content as compared to regular rice, and mostly Japanese short-grain rice is used in sushi rolls due to its stickiness property. While the short grains are moist, tender, little sticky, and slightly chewy as compared to long grain rice.
The long-grain rice comes with fluffy, but firm texture, and they remain separated after cooking, and these are not sticky as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question # 1: Are Japanese rice used for sushi rolls only?
Answer:
No, you can use it in various other dishes that people like to cook in various countries.
Question # 2: What about the level of fats in this rice?
Answer:
The level of fats remains at zero in almost all brands. Also, Japanese rice comes with essential calories only.
Conclusion
Japanese rice offers a delicious taste as compared to other varieties, and Japanese rice lovers are present in almost every country in the world. But it is somehow difficult to select the right rice brands from the available options.
Hopefully, from the above list, you select the brand that offers the same properties and taste that you expect from it.
Last update on 2021-10-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
