Tasting the Difference Between Table Rice and Sake Rice

Rediscover the charm of rice by tasting and comparing

Rice is an essential part of the Japanese diet and in sake brewing. At Asahi - Shuzo, we believe that "sake brewing starts with cultivating good rice," and our brewers are involved in rice cultivation as we pursue the ideal rice for sake.

Rice is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes and is prepared freely around the world according to the climate, geography, food culture, tastes, and purposes. In order to get to know the profound charm of rice we gathered a group of several people together to have a taste experience focusing on "table rice, which is usually eaten as a staple food", and "sake rice, which was developed to be suitable for sake brewing."

The pride of Niigata, two famous varieties

Niigata Prefecture is number one in Japan in terms of both cultivation area and harvest volume (as of 2023) of rice. It also has the most sake breweries in the country, proving that the prefecture is not only a rice-producing region, but also a sake-producing region.

This time, we have chosen varieties that represent Niigata. For table rice, we have "Koshihikari," which accounts for approximately 70% of the planting area by variety in Niigata Prefecture. It is a very popular variety in Japan, and is loved as a so-called "brand rice." For sake rice, we have "Gohyakumangoku," a type of rice suitable for sake brewing that is the most produced in Niigata Prefecture and is the second most produced in the country. This is the rice that is also used in all Kubota's sake brewing.

Gohyakumangoku was developed to suit the cold climate and soil, and was born in Niigata in 1938. It is as well-known as Yamada Nishiki, and is still grown in Niigata and elsewhere, mainly in the Hokuriku region. The rice is a little hard and does not dissolve easily, which tends to give it a delicate flavor. It could be said that Kubota's, "Tanrei-Karakuchi" - crisp, clean and dry,  taste was made possible by the birth of Gohyakumangoku.

Let's take a closer look at each grain of Koshihikari (pictured right) and Gohyakumangoku (pictured left) . This time, we polished the rice in the same way, same polishing ratio as table rice, so even when comparing the grains before and after cooking, we can see that the Gohyakumangoku grains are larger.

Kubota Manjyu Original Yeast YX Edition is made by polishing Gohyakumangoku to 40%, while Kubota Hyakujyu is made by polishing it to 60%.

Enjoy the original flavor of rice

We cooked these two types of rice in the same rice cooker under the same conditions, and carefully savored the flavor of the rice itself.

Many people praised Gohyakumangoku for its high quality as rice, saying that it "can be eaten with the same delicious feeling as table rice," and also felt that there was a big difference in the moisture content of the kernels. Some people said that Koshihikari "has a lot of moisture, so much so that you can swallow it without chewing much," while Gohyakumangoku was described as "each kernel has a strong presence, is chewy and elastic." In terms of sensation, some people discovered that "Koshihikari has a smoother texture, while Gohyakumangoku has a lighter, more bland flavor," and "If you were to compare Gohyakumangoku to beer, it would be like a sugar-free beer."

Interestingly, the more the rice was chewed, the more the taste changed. "The moment I put it in my mouth, Koshihikari tasted sweeter. At first, Gohyakumangoku had a lighter taste, but because it was chewier, I had to chew it more, which caused amylase to be secreted and I gradually began to taste the sweeter taste," one commenter said.

Japanese style pickled eggplant and Nozawana, served with rice

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(Kubota Senjyu Junmai Ginjo) Kubota Senjyu Junmai Ginjo is made using 55% polished Gohyakumangoku rice. It also won the Platinum Award in the "Gohyakumangoku rice category" at the Kura Master 2021, a sake competition for French people.

We will compare the taste of Koshihikari and Gohyakumangoku with some simple Japanese ingredients.

When trying rice with salty pickles, the opinions were that with Koshihikari "the rice absorbs the salt and moisture from the pickles, and as you chew it, it turns sweet and savory," whereas with Gohyakumangoku "the rice does not absorb the salt or moisture, and even when you chew it, the flavors do not combine, and the saltiness of the pickles remains in your mouth." When it came to pickles, Koshihikari rice won out.

While many people felt that "Koshihikari is the best rice to eat with Japanese side dishes," we also heard the opinion that "for dishes like risotto where rice is the main ingredient, a firmer rice like Gohyakumangoku, would probably go better."

So we decided to try making risotto using sake rice.

How to use leftover sake

Although the flavor of freshly opened sake is very delicious, there are times when you end up with sake that you can't finish and it just sits in the fridge and time passes. For times like these, we asked Fusako Itakura of the Italian cooking school effe-co to come up with a useful recipes that can be used in cooking.

Enjoy the bliss of rice with sake and sake risotto

We also did a taste comparison of risotto, using Italian rice, Koshihikari table rice and Gohyakumangoku rice, giving the participants a taste of three different varieties.

Risotto made with Koshihikari was unpopular, with people saying, "The rice grains melt and get mashed, resulting in a soggy finish." As expected, Italian rice, the home of risotto, received high praise, with people saying, "The core remains just right, the texture is good, and the flavor is clear and delicious." Interestingly, Gohyakumangoku rice was discovered to be "close to Italian rice, and goes well with risotto." Perhaps this is because Gohyakumangoku is a hard rice that does not melt easily, which is a characteristic of the rice.

Rice-based sake is a natural match for risotto. After comparing the Kubota lineup, the most common response was that Kubota Manjyu Original Yeast YX Edition, was the best pairing.

If you like, you can add smoked salmon or prosciutto to your sake risotto to add more variety and personality. Enjoy to your heart's content, using your own ingenuity.

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(Kubota Manjyu Original Yeast YX Edition) Kubota Manjyu Original Yeast YX Edition is made by polishing Gohyakumangoku rice, which is difficult to highly polish, to a polishing ratio of 40%. In order to polish this Gohyakumangoku rice to the utmost limit, a method called "Genkei Seimai (original shape polishing)" was chosen. By polishing the rice while maintaining its shape, we have succeeded in efficiently reducing the protein content. In order to bring out a clean, and clear flavor, the rice is carefully polished for 100 hours, about twice as long as usual.

Sake risotto

Ingredients (serves 4)

Italian rice 140g

15g Belgian shallots

20g Butter

20g Parmigiano Reggiano

100ml Sake

Broth (vegetable soup) approx. 400-500ml

Directions

1) Finely chop the Belgian shallots.

2) Add half the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and fry the Belgian shallots, being careful not to burn them. When the spiciness of the Belgian shallots has evaporated, add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3) Add sake to step 2 and once the alcohol has evaporated, add 300ml of broad bean paste. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. During this time, add more broad bean paste if the surface of the rice is visible.

4) After 15 minutes, add the remaining butter and Parmigiano Reggiano and keep stirring for about 3 minutes to emulsify. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to taste. Adjust if needed.

5) Pour over a cloth and steam.

6) Serve on a plate and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano if desired. You can also top with smoked salmon or prosciutto.

(Profile) Her passion for Italian regional cuisine led her to move to Turin, Italy, where she lived for 10 years. She studied at a culinary school in Turin and gained experience as a chef at the world-famous cafe BARATTI & MILANO. She also served as a member of the founding committee of the local culinary school Abcincucina. She currently travels between her hometown of Izumo and Tokyo, and runs the Italian cooking school effe-co. Her cookbook is shown below. She also introduces Italian recipes that go well with sake on this website.　https://www.asahi-shuzo.co.jp/global/en/experiences/

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"12 Months of Italian Cuisine Born from the Market: Turin, Izumo, and Tokyo" by Fusako Itakura, published by Furinsha