Recommended product: Koshihikari rice from Niigata Numa
 
Japanese rice is known for its high quality and high price, different from Chinese rice that pursues yield, Japanese rice pays more attention to the taste quality in rice breeding, and there are countless rice varieties.
 
All Japanese rice is tested by a third-party organization, the Japan Cereal Testing Association, which was established in 1952 and is under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Every year, the Japan Cereal Testing Association evaluates the appearance, aroma, taste, viscosity, and hardness of rice harvested in the same year based on mixed rice from various production areas in Japan, and finally evaluates five grades: special A, A, A', B, and b', from high to low. This ranking is quite credible, and the results have a direct impact on the market price of rice varieties and consumer purchase intentions.
 
Since 1989, Koshihikari rice has been rated as a Special A for many years, and its performance in the sweetness and viscosity indicators is far ahead, and it is highly sought after by Japanese people who love sweet and sticky rice. The most important factor in the taste of rice is the amylose content, and rice grains with low amylose content are more viscous and have a soft and waxy taste. The general japonica rice amylose content is close to 23%, Koshihikari rice is only less than 10%, the volume expansion is small after water absorption, the color is bright, as if smeared with a layer of oil, it has never smelled its fragrance in the near taste, the entrance is sticky but not sticky, chewy but not thick, it is suitable for light sushi rice balls, and is also suitable for thick foods such as hamburgers and pork chops.
 
Koshihikari is recognized as a high-quality rice variety, and many of Japan's most famous varieties of rice, such as "Love at First Sight", "Nikko", and "Akita Komachi", have been cross-bred from it. Koshihikari rice is the largest rice variety in Japan, and is cultivated from Akita Prefecture in the north to Kyushu in the south, but due to its weak lodging resistance, the yield per mu is only two-thirds of that of ordinary high-quality rice, so high-quality Koshihikari rice is expensive.
 
Koshihikari rice has strict requirements for the planting environment, and the soil that is really suitable for its good growth is scarce, and the quality of Koshihikari rice produced in the northeast is better, and the further south the production area, the smaller the stickiness of the rice grains. Niigata Prefecture is one of Japan's most snowy areas in the north, with large rivers such as the Shinano River flowing through it, and it is rich and sticky in the summer, and Koshihikari rice from Niigata Prefecture is the most suitable for softness, with uniform and plump grains and a thick gum texture, and is also used by the famous Japanese sushi restaurant Sugita to make the tuna sushi recommended by celebrities.
 
Koshihikari rice is cultivated throughout Niigata Prefecture, but the taste varies slightly depending on the region, and the Uonuma area has been rated as a special A for many years, followed by the Sado area, which has a stable quality. The northernmost Iwafune area has a relatively hard taste, which is the favorite of many young people.
 
After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, in 2011, China banned the import of edible agricultural products from 12 prefectures in Japan, including Niigata Prefecture, and in recent years, restrictions have been gradually relaxed as the impact of nuclear radiation has weakened. In addition, if the high price of Koshihikari rice from Japan is discouraged, the quality of Koshihikari grown in the Dandong region of China is also better, so consumers can try it for comparison.