The Road to Japan’s Top Rice

The Kamikawa station and its predecessor, the Chūbetsu Agricultural Experiment Station, have conducted experiments on cold-resistant rice and developed 77 new strains over 125 years.

Satō notes that global warming was not a factor in the development of the new Hokkaidō varieties, since temperatures in the months rice is cultivated have held relatively steady over the past two decades.

Workers plant seedlings in a greenhouse at the Kamikawa station in November, when the ground outside is covered with snow. A total of 4,000 seedlings representing 81 new varieties are planted.

Individual grains are carefully removed from the stalks that were cut down in the autumn of 2011. Each stalk represents a different variety; extreme care must be taken not to mix them up.

A battery of tests are conducted to evaluate the whiteness of the rice, the length and width of the grain, and the amylose ratio, which determines the cooked grain’s stickiness.

Once the whiteness, luster, and aroma results are in, it is time for taste tests. The tasters must detect subtle differences, and second helpings are necessary on occasion.

“People like Yumepirika because it’s so delicious,” says Satō. “It holds its own even paired with flavorful side dishes”.