Imagine a steaming bowl of soft, fluffy rice with pickled vegetables on the side, and a hot cup of tea. Crack an egg over it and add a bit of soy sauce to prepare an ultimate Japanese comfort food, tamago-kake-gohan (卵かけごはん). In Japan, rice has a history of over 2000 years. It is the staple of the Japanese diet, and with its long history comes an irreplaceable importance to the culture and daily lives of the people. One name for rice, “gohan” ごはん, is also the word used to refer to a “meal.” In fact, “breakfast” (asagohan 朝ごはん), “lunch”(hirugohan昼ごはん) and “dinner” (yorugohan/bangohan 夜ごはん•晩ごはん) all contain the term “gohan.” Yes, rice, rice, and more rice, sometimes even three times a day! To many, rice and Japan seem an inseparable existence. However, rice was not always this widespread and readily available, as it is in Japan today.
Rice mixed with rice seasoning, furikake. ©TOKI
Brief history
Rice was first brought to Japan from Southeast Asia either during the Yayoi period (300 BCE—300 CE) or Jōmon period (13,000—400 BCE). Before that, Japanese people were nomadic and relied on hunting and gathering for food. It was around the time rice was introduced to Japan that people switched to an agricultural lifestyle, enabling them to settle in villages. Some even say it was rice that changed the way Japanese people lived. However, rice was difficult to grow, as the process was tedious and involved a great deal of time, water, and manual labor. People even started raising koi fish (Japanese Carp) in the water of the rice paddies, which provided extra nutrients for the rice plants as well as protein for the family in the winter. Farmers generally planted rice in the spring (April) and harvested it in the fall (September). The workforce of a single family was often not enough, so families that had good relationships with each other worked together in the same rice field. Working well together was key to having a productive farm, and some say this is when the Japanese concept of a strong group mentality originated. With each grain of stickiness, rice brought people together. At one point, rice was also used as a form of currency. People paid rent, wages and even tax on rice, with rice. Today, rice is mostly enjoyed as food, prepared in a variety of ways, of which we shall introduce a few below.
How rice is enjoyed today
Rice used to make sushi is prepared by mixing the rice with vinegar. ©TOKI
There are many ways to enjoy rice. Sometimes rice is simply eaten with something, like a meat and vegetable dish, or with furikake (ふりかけ, rice seasoning). Rice can also be transformed into a form completely different from the traditional grains.
Sushi (寿司): One of the most famous Japanese delicacies, sushi refers to rice that is mixed with vinegar and combined with raw fish, vegetables or a sweetened egg, and is sometimes wrapped in nori (のり, seaweed).
Vegetables are pickled in rice bran or sake lees to make tsukemono. ©TOKI
Sake (酒, Japanese rice wine): One of Japan’s most famous varieties of alcohol, sake is made by fermenting polished rice in a process similar to that of brewing beer.
Onigiri/omusubi (おにぎり・おむすび): Rice balls (slightly salted) formed into a triangular or cylindrical shape with various fillings, often wrapped in nori (のり, seaweed). Some common fillings include cooked salmon, katsuo-bushi (かつお節, dried bonito flakes), ume (梅, pickled plum), and konbu (昆布, seasoned seaweed). Onigiri is simple to make and easy to carry around, so commonly taken for lunch and breakfast on the go.
Mochi (餅): These chewy and sticky rice cakes are a favorite among the Japanese, and are made from pounding “mochi gome” (もち米, mochi rice) into a paste. Mochi is commonly eaten with red bean paste, kinako (きな粉、roasted soybean flour), and can be found in many desserts, drinks, and even savory soups.
Tsukemono (漬物): There are many ways to prepare tsukemono (pickled ‘things’), but one common method is to pickle vegetables in roasted rice bran or sake lees. Tsukemono are served as appetizers with almost every washoku (和食traditional Japanese dish) meal. Common tsukemono include radish, cucumber, Japanese plum, eggplant, cabbage, and ginger.
Senbei (せんべい): A common rice cracker snack made from pressed rice that is baked or fried to perfection. Japanese rice crackers can be found in various shapes and sizes, and though usually savory, can also be sweet.