Balance of elements determines flavor

The major constituent of rice is starch, which makes up about 80 percent of the grain. Starch is composed of amylose, which determines the firmness and dryness of rice, and amylopectin, which influences the stickiness and texture. The balance between the two components determines the flavor of rice.

Koshihikari rice, which has dominated rice acreage in Japan for about 40 years, contains relatively small amounts of amylose and has a sticky texture. It is favored by contemporary Japanese consumers.

“Koshihikari’s flavor is natural for people born in the Heisei era [since 1989], because they have eaten the rice since they were small children,” said Toyozo Nishijima, who runs rice shop Suzunobu in Tokyo and is certified as a five-star rice meister. “They now favor the tastes of new rice varieties with strong characteristics. People have begun moving away from Koshihikari.”

Many rice varieties that fully debuted last year have distinctive characteristics. Fukui Prefecture’s Ichihomare, for example, is described as “post-Koshihikari” because it has an adequate level of stickiness while retaining a granular texture.

Miyagi Prefecture’s Date Masayume features a soft texture, while Yukiwakamaru in Yamagata Prefecture is relatively firm.

“I feel that rice has become an item of taste in a certain sense,” Nishijima said.

“If there are 100 people, each of them has his or her own tastes, and they choose rice according to their preferences, like wine. Since washoku is highly appreciated overseas for being healthy, more people could enjoy eating it if it is looked at anew in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics.”