Rice Japanese (O)kome or Gohan

(O)kome in Japanese, rice is a staple in Asian cuisine. Typically, short-grain rice is used in Japan, while long-grain rice is used in China and India. As mentioned earlier, there are different types of rice. A total of about 120,000 types. However, you can distinguish between 2 basic types. First, there's long-grain rice, it doesn't stick and is used in Chinese and Indian cuisine. On the other hand, there is also short-grain rice. This is sticky and is therefore also known in Germany as milk rice. This rice is used in Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

Long/ Pointed Grain Rice

Long/ pointed grain rice is very common in Chinese cuisine. As the name of the rice suggests, this rice is long and pointed. The special characteristic of long/ pointed grain rice is that it rarely sticks. This makes it unsuitable for sushi, for example, but suitable for risotto or curry.

Short-grain Rice

The second type is round and usually sticky. In Japanese cuisine, this rice is almost exclusively used. Due to its stickiness, it is also very easy to grip. In addition, sushi is possible with this rice, as the starch makes the rice grains stick together. Short-grain rice is also used in milk rice.

Different types of rice in Japan.

Rice Wine (Sake)

This rice variety is used for sake (rice wine).

Mochigome

Mochigome is a cloudy rice and is usually pounded and eaten as mochi or manjou. Mochi is often roasted and eaten with nori (seaweed) and shoyou (soy sauce). Mochi can also be sweetened and prepared as a dessert. A well-known sweet made from mochi rice is Dango, for example.

Kodaimai

Kodaimai is usually mixed with normal rice, as the red rice is very expensive. This rice is also only eaten for special occasions.