Gunma Brown Rice

On our way home from Minakami on Sunday, we made a quick pit stop at the farmers' market in Showa. The goal was to stock our Tokyo larder with some local produce and home grown brown rice -- neighboring Niigata is one of Japan's most prolific rice producing prefectures. After surveying the bounty, we rounded up the usual suspects: baby broccoli, young asparagus, sweet potatoes, hot peppers for Francia and then headed to the rice bar where we had a number of different options. Surprisingly, the saleswoman steered us not towards the more expensive, Niigata Koshihikari (considered the best of the best by many connoisseurs) but towards rice grown in the nearby fields. Plus, as Abby observed, the level in that bin was the lowest. When in Rome, it is definitely a good idea to do as the Romans do.



After we placed our order for five kilos, the clerk measured the rice. I suspect that most rice in Japan is slightly processed before it reaches shops, even the Showa farmers' market. Had we wanted pure, white rice, she would have poured our purchase into the polisher to remove the rest of the bran. Instead, she deposited our rice into a plastic bag and sealed it shut.



The following evening, the Gunma rice made its debut at our dinner table. Reader, it is out of this world. Fresh and fluffy, this rice is so full of flavor. The usual supermarket fare just can't compare. Sprinkled in and among the light brown kernels is the occasional crunchy brown grain. Some pick them out but they are welcome in my rice bowl anytime.