Grains ── Rice varieties
Koganemochi
a widely grown, glossy-golden mochi rice
Named, it's said, for its glossy golden hue, a leading mochi-rice variety used broadly for pounded mochi, festive red rice, and steamed glutinous rice. Said to rank among the most widely planted mochi-rice varieties nationwide.
Lineage
What it's made of
Said to be named for its glossy, golden-tinged hue, this mochi rice is said to be strongly sticky. A late-maturing glutinous variety, it's said to be used broadly for pounded mochi, festive red rice, and steamed glutinous rice. Said to develop strong stickiness and body when pounded, and to resist hardening over time, making it an easy-to-handle mochi rice. Said to turn a near-pure white once milled. Its grains are also said to run somewhat large, notably even in size.
How it's made
Said to have first appeared in 1943 and been named in 1956, bred by a Niigata experiment station's Nakajo trial site by crossing 'Norin 17' with 'Shinnō-mochi 3', and designated a recommended Niigata variety in 1958. Breeding is said to have taken more than a decade, with repeated selection to combine yield with strong stickiness. Several naming candidates evoking its golden shine are also said to have been considered.
Why it took this shape
Said to rank among the most widely planted mochi-rice varieties nationwide, long favored as a widely distributed standard. Sold under the separate brand name Miyakoganemochi in Miyagi, it's said to have supported mochi-rice production across regions under differing local names, and to have gone on to serve as a parent for later varieties such as Himenomochi. Also said to be indispensable for festive-day dishes such as New Year's kagami mochi and celebratory steamed rice. Also said to see steady demand as a raw material for rice crackers.
Before you go
- Foods to look for in autumnA guide to foods often seen in Japan around autumn — returning bonito, Pacific saury, new-crop rice, matsutake, chestnuts, and tsukimi dango — with rough pointers for finding them.
- Regional harvest food festivalsAcross Japan, harvest festivals and "taste festivals" featuring local produce and seafood are said to be commonly held each autumn, with stalls selling new rice, seasonal fruit, and local dishes.
Dishes in the same style
- AkamaiAn ancient category of rice said to carry a reddish bran layer; low-yielding but tied, it's said, to Shinto harvest rituals still kept at shrines like those on Tsushima. Traces of red rice are said to have been found at Jomon- and Yayoi-era sites, making it among Japan's oldest rice lineages.
- AkitakomachiA Koshihikari cross bred for Akita's cool climate, said to carry a lighter sweetness and moderate stickiness, long favored as an everyday table rice. Named, it's said, after the legendary beauty Ono no Komachi, it ranks among Japan's most widely planted varieties.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known source
- Known source: Saga
Said to be grown mainly in Kyushu, a leading region for mochi rice.