Why rice rules Japan
Rice is to the Japanese what wine is to the French. There are regional histories and mythical lore. There are family heirloom rice paddies and religious rituals. More than 500 different varieties of rice are grown, each subtly distinct in color, flavor and texture.
Rice is to the Japanese what wine is to the French. There are regional histories and mythical lore. There are family heirloom rice paddies and religious rituals. More than 500 different varieties of rice are grown, each subtly distinct in color, flavor and texture.
Rice is embedded in Japan’s DNA and forms a large chunk of its national identity. To many older people, a meal without rice is not a meal — indeed, the Japanese word gohan means both “rice” and “meal.” Growing up, I remember how my mother went into panic mode at the sight of a nearly empty rice bin — and she was not the only woman in the neighborhood to cajole the local rice shop into hurrying its delivery because there was nothing left to eat.
Source Link : https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Tea-Leaves/Why-rice-rules-Japan
