Rice or No Dice

As a kid, I remember seeing an old photo of two Imperial Japanese soldiers, cooking rice, inside a cave somewhere in the Pacific Theater during WWII. They were using an aluminum mess kit, called Hango, to cook rice. In the midst of brutal war, I’m sure a hot meal meant more than what most of us could ever imagine. You could tell by their eyes and their expressions that they were very much looking forward to a special treat. What struck me the most about this photo was that they were using short candles to cook, simply because using an open fire, with the flame and smoke, would give their position away to the enemy.

Today, Hango is used among campers and outdoorsmen in Japan. I’ve experienced this method of cooking rice, a few times, many years ago and know a little to understand how difficult it can be, especially if you’re using an open fire and have little control over the heat temperature. Often, the rice gets overcooked, charring the bottom portion of it.

To one's surprise, it’s this charred portion that is so good, especially when you eat it while it’s still hot. Being outdoors in nature and sharing precious moments with your buddies enhance this experience. I never thought a mouthful of plain rice could taste so good. With this in mind, I thought it was important to cover the basics once again. In essence, when it comes to eating Japanese food, rice is practically the foundation. If the rice is awful, the entire meal can be ruined. To cook Japanese food at home, I believe this is where it must all start. It’s not just about cooking rice, it's all about the rice. Enjoy the journey.
The type of rice we're talking about here is called Japonica – a short-grain variety that is moist, soft and sticky when cooked, quite the opposite from the long-grain rice most Americans are familiar with. Both the brown rice (where only the outer husks of the grain are removed) and the white rice (brown rice without the bran) are available. Although some Japanese eat brown rice (or Genmai) for its superb nutritional benefits, typically it is the white rice that is served at meals, for its taste, flavor and texture. In this posting, we're going to use the white rice to master the basics.

Locally-grown, Japanese-style rice brands such as Nishiki and Kokuho Rose are milled and packaged in the U.S. and can be purchased at stores or online. Many of these local brands use California- grown, medium-grain rice. Although slightly thinner and longer than the short-grain, the California-grown, medium-grain rice has similar characteristics (i.e., soft and sticky when cooked) to the typical, Japanese short-grain rice and is used in many Japanese restaurants and rice-related products, including Sake (Japanese rice wine).

Before you start cooking your rice, here comes the million-dollar question - to rinse or not to rinse. For an old-school type of person like myself, rinsing rice was like washing and waxing your car. Before you go out on a date, you wash your car. Before you cook your rice, you rinse it. It was almost an automatic reaction; you didn't think twice about it. For better or for worse, things are a lot easier these days. Now, a rinse-free rice called Musenmai (literally means No Need to Rinse Rice) is available. Nishiki, among others, sells this type of rice – just look for the Musenmai or Just Add Water label on the package. Personally, I think it’s convenient, especially when you just don’t have the time, but I've heard some people in Japan (i.e., rice store owners, etc.,) saying that it’s better to briefly rinse it once anyway, and that the rice starts to lose its stickiness after a while. Whatever the case may be, I urge you to buy regular white rice first and go through the experience of Rinsing Rice. It is definitely easier than waxing your car.

Traditionally, the basic idea behind rinsing rice was to eliminate any impurities and to remove bran residuals that remained from the milling process. The residuals get harder to remove as time goes by and have a tendency to turn rancid after a while. You definitely don’t want your cooked rice smelling funky. But, thanks to new, milling-technology advancements, experts claim that you don't need to rinse as mush as people used to in the past.

Now, assuming we have our rice, let us begin the preparation and cooking process:

Step 1: Measuring the RiceDecide how much rice you want to eat. Typically, when you purchase a Japanese Rice Cooker, a rice measuring cup is included as an accessory. Of course, you can also purchase the cup, separately, at a Japanese grocery store. When you fill the cup all the way to the top, it's equivalent to 3/4 of the U.S. Standard Measuring Cup. The Japanese refer to this as Ichi (one) Go. So, Ni (two) Go of rice is equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of rice and basically serves about 3 people. If you want to serve 4 people, San (three) Go (2 1/4 cups) should do. Hey, you just learned how to count in Japanese - Ichi, Ni, San! If you’re thinking about learning Karate or Judo, at least you’ll know what the class is saying when they’re doing the jumping jacks!

Step 2: Rinsing the RicePour the measured rice into a large plastic bowl. Prepare another bowl filled with cold water. You’re about to initiate the first rinse, which requires speed. Pour the cold water into the rice and start stirring the rice with your hand. After a few quick stirs, drain the water between your fingers and make sure you don't lose any rice grains, or at least try not to. If you do lose a few here and there, don’t waste any time by trying to pick them up. To get rid of that water is your first priority here. The rice, which has been dehydrated, tends to absorb moisture and odor very quickly.
If you leave the rice in this stirred, murky water, it will just soak up the bran residuals and odors that you were trying to eliminate in the first place. You’ve got to be fast and do it, not under a minute, but in 10 seconds – you’ve got to be faster than Michael Phelps. Whatever you do, don’t leave the rice in this miserable water to go answer the phone or something.

For the second rinse, basically repeat the above with a new bowl of cold water. Again, quickly add water and stir a few times and get rid of the water fast. Boom, Boom, and Boom!After you get rid of the water from the second rinse, gently stir the rice with your fingers. Again, be like Michael and form your fingers like when you’re swimming. Use your wrist to make a circular motion and quickly, yet gently stir a few times. Add a little water, repeat the stirring action and then get rid of the water. Repeat this final rinsing process about 3 times.

The idea is to make the rice grains scrub against each other when you stir them around. Some people use their palms, some massage the rice with their fingers. Different strokes for different folks. The idea behind it all is to polish the rice grains by having them scrub against each other.

Again, the point of rinsing is to do it as quickly as possible, so the rice doesn't have a chance to absorb the water. Don't worry, it will get its chance to take a nice, long bath later. Also, be extremely gentle. Just because you had a bad day at the office, don’t take it out on the rice. Stir or mix gently, or the rice will crack. Now, even repeating this rinsing process a few times, your water is not going to be super transparent. Don’t worry about it. At this point, the starch is probably what is making the water not so transparent and not the bran residuals. So, do not over rinse the rice. Also, whatever you do, do not use hot water to rinse otherwise you'll end up losing the flavor of the rice.Step 3: Strain the Excess WaterOnce you’re done rinsing, make sure you drain all the water out. Pour the rice into a colander if you can, just to get the proper drainage of water. The absorbed water continues to travel slowly and deeper into the core of the rice. Don’t leave it out too long or the rice will dry out. Go to Step 4 as soon as the water is drained.Step 4: Add WaterPlace the rice into a pot or rice cooker, and add the appropriate amount of water. The amount of water you add depends on how new or old the rice is, and also depends on your texture preference, but the rule of the thumb is – 1:1.2 Rice to Water Ratio (20% more water). If the rice is old, add a little more water (i.e. 1:1.3 or 30% more water) and if the rice is Shinmai (newly-harvested rice), add a little less water (i.e. 1:1.1 or 10% more water). This ratio is what your typical Japanese Sensei of a Rice Dojo would recommend.

The local rice brands using California medium-grain rice seem to require slightly more water than your Japanese counterparts. The local brand I use, at home, suggests 1:1.3 ratio of rice to water. So basically, follow the instructions provided by the makers. If there are no instructions, go with the rule of thumb.
If you're using a rice cooker, just follow the guidelines for measuring the rice and water. Typically, for a Japanese Rice Cooker, you use the Rice Measuring Cup mentioned earlier and for each cup-full of rice, add water to the level indicated. In the photo, I put 3 cup-fulls of rice, using the Rice Measuring Cup, and added water up to the level 3 line for white rice. Whatever the cooking method, try cooking as instructed first and if you want your rice to be a certain texture, adjust the amount of water yourself and remember the ratio.

Step 5: Soak the Rice in WaterOnce the rice and the water are in the pot, don’t turn on the heat (or the switch, if you’re using a rice cooker) just yet. Let Queen Rice take her long, cold water bath. Let the rice soak in the cold water for at least 30 minutes; some people suggest even longer, anywhere up to 2 hours, especially during the winter seasons when the water temperature tends to be lower. This is why many Japanese prepare the rice, first, when making a meal and prepare the rest while Queen Rice is in Spa mode. This Spa treatment makes the rice nice and plump, so basically, give her the time she needs.

Step 6: Cook the Rice
After Queen Rice’s long bath, we’re finally ready to cook. If you have a rice cooker, hit the start button and let mini R2D2 do its job. I swear, some of these high-end rice cookers have stuff like, computerized-fuzzy-logic-temperature-control systems, that automatically make adjustments to temperature and heating time to cook perfect rice every time. They also have features like colored, LCD displays with easy-to-use navigation control panels. If my grandmother were alive today, she would've been afraid to touch these hi-tech gadgets; she'd cook the rice the old-fashioned way, which we’ll attempt to do now. Just make sure you have a lid for the pot.

First, put the lid on the pot and set it on medium-high heat, and let the rice come to a boil. When you start hearing the sound of water boiling, turn down the heat to low and cook 5 more minutes. Then, ask Queen Rice for permission to take the lid off, to take a peak inside. If you no longer see water covering the surface of the rice, and if you’re using an electric range, turn off the switch and let the remaining heat steam the rice for about 10 minutes (with the lid on). If you’re using a gas range, keep simmering for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam for about 10 minutes.

After you steam the rice, gently flip the rice over, portions at a time, and sort of mix and loosen up the rice; take it nice and easy. The idea is to gently spread out the moisture evenly. After all that rinsing and bathing to make the rice nice and plump, the last thing you want to do is smash the rice. The song for this process goes something like this - Flip me tender, flip me loose, never press me hard...and make sure you sing this like Elvis.

I can’t remember how we came up with this term, but we call this process Shaka Shaka at home. It's sort of like, "Oh, honey, the rice is ready...can you do the Shaka Shaka?" I'm not kidding.For those of you using a rice cooker, you basically need to do the same. Even when the switch goes off or your mini R2D2 signals you that your rice is done, wait and let it sit for a while and let Queen Rice enjoy the steam treatment. Obviously, you’ve got to keep the lid on and give her some privacy. After 10 to 15 minutes, take the lid off and do the Shaka Shaka, and her majesty is ready to be served.

If you've made too much rice and have some leftover, wrap about 1 serving-size (individual serving) of rice in a plastic wrap, while still hot and freeze it. Don’t make a football or even a softball. Try to keep it small and flat so it freezes faster. Whenever you have a craving for rice and don’t have the time to go through the entire process of rinsing and cooking, you have yourself a microwavable, frozen rice pack. Speaking of microwavable rice, there are products out there. In fact, some airlines use this microwavable-type rice for their in-flight meals.

Musenmai and the microwavable rice are convenient, and are actually not that bad. But again, I urge you to start from scratch and spend some time with the Queen to get acquainted with her. At least you don’t have to use candles to cook the rice. But then again, maybe you have to, someday, if you lose the power in your house. I certainly hope you don’t ever have to go through this kind of emergency, but if you ever do, at least you know that you can cook rice with candles. Now, that’s survival cooking at its best.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Be sure to store the unused rice in a plastic container or Tupperware, and keep the lid on tight, because the queen hates bugs and stuff.