Table of contents:
Summary
Japanisch Reis kochen is a comprehensive guide that explores the fundamental role of rice in Japanese cuisine, highlighting its importance as a staple ingredient found in various dishes. With over 2000 years of cultivation in Japan, rice not only serves as a key component of meals but is also transformed into products like sake, vinegar, flour, and rice bran. The site discusses various types of rice, including white, brown, multi-grain, and glutinous rice, and their specific culinary uses. It presents methods for cooking rice, comparing traditional pot cooking versus the convenience of rice cookers, while emphasizing the need to adjust cooking processes based on rice variety. The guide further provides essential tips to achieve perfectly fluffy rice, such as soaking it before cooking and maintaining a closed lid during the cooking process. Overall, it serves as an essential resource for anyone interested in mastering the art of Japanese rice preparation.Rice is as inseparable from Japanese food as soy sauce ! In most Japanese dishes you will find rice as a main ingredient, filling side dish or supplement. This is also reflected in Japanese agriculture. Rice has been grown in Japan for over 2000 years and is the most widely grown grain.
But the Japanese are not satisfied with just eating rice, so they process it into many different products, such as alcohol (rice wine and sake ), vinegar, flour and rice bran.
Depending on the desired taste or method of preparation, different types of rice are used. White and brown rice, as well as multigrain rice and sticky rice, are the most common. Sticky rice is used to make special dishes such as rice cakes, rice dumplings with various fillings and other desserts.
Rice cooker or pot?
You can cook rice either classically in a pot on the stove or use a rice cooker . The second option is much easier and more foolproof, but with a little practice you can also cook great rice on the stove.
It is important that you adapt the cooking process to the type of rice you choose. Whole grain rice, for example, needs to be cooked longer than white rice, and the round, short, grainy rice that is typically used in Japanese dishes needs to be prepared differently than long grain rice.
Tips for perfect rice
- To make the rice extra fluffy, you should soak it in water for at least 30 minutes after washing and before cooking.
- Drain the water after soaking and then add the correct amount of water so that it doesn't become watery.
- Keep the lid of the pot or rice cooker closed as much as possible during the cooking process. Otherwise, the escaping steam would change the cooking time.
Comments
That helped me a lot because I am 14 years old and I didn't really know that. I only started cooking recently and now I'm interested in Japanese cuisine.
Hi Niklas, I’m very happy to hear that :) Have fun continuing to cook Japanese cuisine :) Best regards, Ryusei
The lid should remain closed throughout the entire cooking process (but regularly check to make sure the rice isn't burning!) So, which is it? How am I supposed to check if the lid is closed?
Hi Thea, thank you very much for this point of critique, I totally agree with you, I've adjusted it as much as I could :) Best regards, Ryusei :)
I would say: too much water, cooked for too long. Risk that the rice will get mushy! For Japanese rice cooked in a pot, I use a water:rice ratio of about 1:1.2 – depending on the variety. Bring it briefly to a boil and then turn off the electric stove. With the residual heat (with gas or induction stove, switch to very low flame/setting) steam it for about 7-8 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and wrap it completely in a kitchen towel. Let it sit and soak for another 10 minutes.
Hey! :D You can set some rice cookers so that you have fresh rice at a specific time the next day. But until then, the rice sits in the water in the rice cooker for several hours, right? Does that affect the quality of the rice—maybe make it soggier? Or should I always prepare it fresh in the morning? :3 By the way, your blog is really great! :D
Hi Verena, exactly, there are many rice cookers that allow you to do that. It's called the "keep warm function". Now, it's important to note that this function is just crappy on some devices. I have a really good rice cooker from the Korean brand Cuchen, and with it the rice stays warm and fresh for 72 hours!!! without burning (in case you're interested --> Cuchen Model WHA-VE0601G) The relatively affordable rice cookers from Reishunger also keep the rice warm for a long time, BUT the rice does burn there! So after 24 hours you'll have a dried out crust at the bottom of the pot, and on top there's still edible rice (sometimes a bit mushy though). Not that great, in my opinion. If you really want a good keep warm function, you need an expensive rice cooker from a Japanese or Korean brand (for example: Cuckoo, Cuchen....) Personally, I often cook rice in the evening and eat it in the morning :) But basically, I'd recommend you start with the affordable Reishunger rice cooker. It's definitely a great entry-level device. That's the regular white one, WITHOUT digital functions :) Good luck, thanks for your opinion :) Best regards Matthias
Since I don't have a rice cooker and my stovetop is usually full, I've gotten into the habit of cooking it in the microwave on the side. Please don't judge me for it. Preparation is really simple this way, nothing burns, and it turns out very well too. In any case, I think your description here is great! I didn’t know about soaking the rice beforehand to make it fluffier, but I'll definitely include that from now on. Thanks and best regards, Stef
Hi Stef, Yes, cooking rice in the microwave isn’t a big deal, it actually works very well. In the end, though, we always recommend using a rice cooker—it really is the best :) Thank you so much :) Best, Matthias
That's a really great explanation! I actually have a rice cooker from Reishunger myself. I know I’ll never shop there again, though—while the delivery was really good and I wanted to order something else, for some reason the account I created there just disappeared. That was enough for me. But really cool tips!
Hello Alex, thank you very much for your feedback! Best regards, Ryusei
When the water boils, stir, turn off the stove, put the lid on and wait 20 minutes (short-grain rice, Japanese variety). Always works. For about 350g of rice I use 0.450 l of water. (Unfortunately, I don't know how much a cup holds for you. In Europe, the metric system has been used for 200 years, so it should be clear how quantities should be specified.)
Hallo Hans Walther, thank you very much for the note. As stated in the recipe, you can use a small cup of rice per person/per portion. Best regards, Ryusei
You mention elsewhere that the rice should be soaked for 30 minutes. That’s missing from the recipe above. Also, in my opinion, the cooking time listed above is a bit too short. After 15 minutes, I let the rice sit for another 15 minutes on the switched-off stove. Then it turns out perfect. And third, I think stirring is completely unnecessary. I never do it, and it doesn’t burn. I suspect that you traditionally only use a rice cooker, and cooking rice in a pot is no longer your strength.
Hallo Uwe, thank you very much for your comment and feedback. Best regards Ryusei
Good day Mr. Hosono Ryusei, I think your site is very well done. I have already tried out a few of the recipes, and I think they turned out well for a beginner. At least, everyone enjoyed them. I like Japanese cuisine; in our family, we have always cooked a lot of Asian food, but mostly Korean, Thai, or Chinese. That's why I don't have any reservations, and we always have things like Basmati or Jasmine rice at home. I would love to know from you if there is a particular “favorite variety” of rice used in Japan? I read in a cookbook that you should use round whole grain rice. I then tried this one: (https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B008Z23UDE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) It was a disaster! Even after rinsing and soaking, it took ages to cook before it was no longer hard in the center. The finished rice ended up more like German rice pudding ;-) Thank you for your effort! Best regards
Hello Máté Theresa, thank you for your comment! In Japan, we usually don’t eat Basmati or Jasmine rice. Those are what’s known as long grain rice varieties; in Japan, people mostly eat short grain rice. By the way, so do Turkish people, which is why we always went to Turkish supermarkets in Germany, since it’s much cheaper than buying Japanese rice in Germany. I hope this helps you! Best regards, Ryusei