Luscious no-wash Niigata rice

Koshibuki no-wash rice

Brand: Sarada sutori

Price: 3460 yen

Place of purchase: Amazon Japan

Rating:

I've taken to musenmai, rice that is milled in a tumbler that removes the bran. The result is white rice that doesn't require laborious washing. Just one rinse is required before you cook it. On Amazon Japan, I searched for no-wash rice and turned up this seller, Sarada Sutori which mills a variety of Koshihikari rice called Koshibuki. The Koshibuki rice is said to be resistant to disease, matures early, and shines with a satisfying lustre while delivering a sweet taste. This rice cooked up luscious and flavorful in my donabe pot.

The rising price of rice right now is a shock. It's hard to find rice, nevermind musenmai, or no-wash rice, at a reasonable price. So I bit the bullet and went for Niigata-grown Koshibuki, a variety of Koshihikari rice. The rice is awesome. I can't complain. I prefer to buy musenmai not just for the convenience. It doesn't require more than just a single rinse before cooking. The light milling process that makes it suitable for cooking as-is doesn't use water. So it's environmentally-friendly both in the processing and home cooking. Not much water is required to prepare it. And it glistens and makes for excellent dishes - rice balls, nokkegohan, and bento box meals.