Grains ── Rice varieties
Sasanishiki
the once-dominant, delicate low-stickiness variety
Prized by sushi and washoku chefs for its light stickiness, said to have declined sharply in acreage after the severe cold-damage harvest of 1993. Recent shifts in cultivation technique are said to be bringing renewed interest in the variety.
Lineage
What it's made of
Said to run higher in amylose, giving it a light, understated taste. With less stickiness, it's said to let side dishes shine, and it's said to be favored by sushi chefs because it doesn't turn gummy once vinegared — a different direction from today's more mochi-like mainstream taste. Said to have a subdued aroma when cooked, letting the rice's own sweetness come through with each chew — a rice said to let the ingredient itself speak. Its look is also said to carry a somewhat translucent whiteness.
How it's made
Said to have been bred in 1963 at a Miyagi experiment station's Furukawa branch, crossing 'Ou 224 (later Hatsunishiki)' as mother with 'Sasashigure' as father. Its light taste once made it a leading Tohoku variety grown widely, said to have ranked among the nation's largest producers before the 1993 rice-shortage crisis. At registration it was said to be hailed as a breakthrough combining high yield with good taste, and its cultivation is said to have spread rapidly across Tohoku.
Why it took this shape
Said to have been hit hard by the record cold-damage harvest of 1993, its acreage falling sharply afterward as Miyagi is said to have shifted toward the more cold-hardy Hitomebore. Recent shifts in cultivation technique are said to be bringing renewed interest in it for sushi and washoku. Its planted acreage today is said to be far below its former peak, yet it's said to still be grown for a loyal following of devoted fans.
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: Miyagi
Bred in Miyagi and said to have once been a leading variety across eastern Japan.