29-05-2025
Japan-grown or imported? Four bowls, four varieties of rice
Reporters tasted four types of rice in Hiroshima on May 27. (Satoru Aikawa)
As imported rice becomes a popular alternative to Japanese mainstays whose prices continue to rise, it begs the question—do these overseas varieties taste different from what households are used to?
Before the flavor assessment, cost efficiency still appears to be the biggest difference consumers care about most. Imported rice continues to sell well despite its cost also creeping higher as demand shifts.
An Asahi Shimbun reporter who visited local supermarket chain Fresta's Yokokawa store in Hiroshima observed a wide selection of domestically produced rice at around 5,000 yen ($32) for a 5-kilogram bag.
Comparatively, the 5-kg bags of the government's stockpiled rice blended with different harvests were priced at 3,480 yen, excluding tax, and 4-kg bags of Taiwanese rice cost 3,180 yen.
Both were out of stock.
The amount of stockpiled rice that had made it to the store was so small that it sold out a few days after being put on shelves. The Taiwanese rice sold out after about a week, and other retailers reported they had sold out of their stock from Taiwan and rice imported from the United States.
However, do these alternatives taste the same as brands grown domestically?
Eight Asahi Shimbun reporters compared several types of rice sold at supermarkets.
Served at the blind taste test were Taiwanese; American (specifically, the Calrose variety); Japanese 'Koshihikari" from Hiroshima Prefecture; and a bag of the government's blended stockpile.
Excluding tax, comparing them by price per kilogram resulted in the blended rice at 718 yen being the most affordable option. It was followed by 795 yen for American rice, 823 yen for Taiwanese rice and 1,140 yen for Koshihikari.
All the rice was indistinguishable in terms of appearance and aroma once cooked. The reporters said all tasted good overall, with two of the eight taste testers mistaking foreign varieties for Japanese ones.
One 22-year-old reporter noted the Calrose rice was less sticky and grains separated more easily compared to the bowl of Taiwanese rice, which was stickier and sweeter. He didn't notice the difference between the government rice reserves and this year's Japanese rice brand harvest that he usually has at home.
Nothing tasted off so in the end he couldn't assign specific rankings.
Another reporter, 43, believed her favorite of the bunch was Koshihikari, but it turned out to be Calrose.
The same occurred for a 23-year-old reporter who mistook Taiwanese rice as domestically grown when picking which bowl tasted best, saying "I think this is the Japanese rice because it is chewy and sweet."
Six of the eight reporters correctly identified the Japanese rice from the samples, with one keen-eyed participant saying the grains in the imported rice served varied in size. Another 24-year-old reporter was even able to guess all four types.
'All tasted good. But the Calrose rice had low moisture and sweetness, and the Taiwanese rice was similar. In comparison, the Koshihikari brand rice was softer than what I usually eat at home,' she said.
DISH PAIRINGS & PREPARATION
Rie Shibuya, 47, a rice retailer who has the "five-star rice meister" certification in evaluating the ancient staple, recommends taking advantage of each type's characteristics.
She said that Calrose's light flavor is good for curry or beef bowls, while Taiwanese rice's stronger flavor pairs better with oilier dishes.
'Due to the soaring Japanese rice prices, rice from various places is available at supermarkets. I hope people take this opportunity and enjoy the difference by using them in the most suitable ways,' Shibuya said.
Shoji Sowa, 45, an employee at food processing equipment manufacturer Satake Corp. based in Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, shared tips for preparing the four types.
'When cooking Taiwanese rice, use 1.2 times as much water as you would for Japanese rice," said Sowa. "For Calrose rice, use 1.5 times as much water. Then, they will taste more similar to Japanese brands.'
LASTING COMPETITION?
According to the announcement from the farm ministry made on May 26, rice retail prices at about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide between May 12 and 18 for 5-kilogram bags were 4,285 yen on average, including tax.
These bags cost double that of what was sold during the same season of the previous year.
While prices are expected to fall thanks to the government-retailer contracts that allow for direct sale of rice reserves, some groups still worry consumers are moving away from domestically grown rice for good. Among them is the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations.
"We've never seen this much stock of imported rice brands put on supermarket shelves," said an official of JA Zen-Noh Hiroshima. 'We are concerned that customers will turn away from domestic rice and choose imported options in the future.'
A rice farmer in Sera, Hiroshima Prefecture, believes excellence is the solution, saying, "We must develop rice with significantly superior qualities compared to overseas products, ensuring consumers will choose ours even if it costs more.'
