Pay $40 for 5kg of rice?

[Taro Toporific]

Pay $40 for 5kg of rice? Hai, if it's Japanese
Prices are up and quality is down but the Japanese insist that their homegrown staple is better and shun foreign grains
Straits Times / Dec 1 TOKYO - -Rice has not tasted as good lately. It has become more expensive....

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Pay 2500 for 5kg of rice. Sounds just about right to me. Its not the first time that i have bought some food at a crazy price. I have bought an apple for 900 yen in takashimaya just because I love apples and wanted to see did it taste good. It did! I have bought other apples before at stupid prices and sometimes its just like eating water.

The Japanese are right to an extent, Japanese rice does have very good qualities that are needed for the japanese market. Especialy its stickiness. I cant imagine making sushi out of Uncle Bens boil in the bag long grain non stick rice microwaveable in 30 seconds...

still this irkd me a bit

'I went home to Fujian recently. I found Chinese rice almost unfit for eating,' he said.

Fujian it is noted that this is the worst place in china, most triads and snakeheads come from Fujian and it is one of the poorest places in China. I wonder how much he was paid to say that. Next time get somebody convincing.

[Andocrates]

Arkansas and Louisiana rice is bad, but the Japanese grain rice is grown in California and you cannot tell the difference (except the California rice is bound to have less toxins in it). That's a black market opportunity if I ever heard one.

[blackcat]

well thats years of brainwashing and protectionisim for you...stuff the same ol rice down the throats and the propoganda with it and the (we japanese we superior ) mind set and they will never know the nutrition advantages of wild rice, the great flavour/arouma of jasmine and how several other grains are much better with curries etc.

Japanese rice is fine but its NOT always the best...depends on what you eat!! If you can think for yourself

[Big Booger]

That's why I eat bread Just kidding.

Rice is Rice, just depends on the variety.. I think the location really doesn't matter...

Long grain grown in Japan or America is bound to taste nearly if not identically the same, though as pointed out, the dioxin levels might differ

[AssKissinger]

I don't know about the rice, but the bread here sucks. And so does the cheese.

[Nagged]

I don't know about the rice, but the bread here sucks.

I'd go along with that.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

I don't know about the rice, but the bread here sucks. And so does the cheese.

Dont get me started. I havent had worse bread in my life. Do they know that bread can have a crust. When I say crust I mean something crispy, with lots of flavour, texture and colour.

Sometimes I like bread with a hint of sweetness, but here every kind of bread has is dosed with sugger. Its like thoes cheap hot dog rolls.

Subway have a cheek of calling it a native diet, whats native about it. A bread roll should have a good crust with a warm soft center. I dont know about amerikaN Subway but I know in europe its compleatly different. Oh and you can pick what you want. No vegies for my thanks.

As for cheese, why is everything either camembert or very expensive. The only cheader comes from NewZealand or Finland, FINLAND who kney finland even was a milk producing country.

What i would give for a yello box of ritz biscuits.

[kamome]

My problem with bread in Japan is the absence of whole wheat bread. Most bread here is white Wonder bread, which is sometimes called "shokupan". Wonderbread is hardly a nutritious food, and the lack of fiber leads to constipation. I always keep a supply of laxatives at home because of all the white rice and Wonderbread I wind up eating here.

[GuyJean]

I always keep a supply of laxatives at home because of all the white rice and Wonderbread I wind up eating here.

Thanks for the vision..

Yes. The bread is pathetic. I worked in a bakery for 6 years in the States, and I have tasted nothing that compares to a true sourdough with sourdough starter and yeast.. We used to make a beer bread with porter... Oh, I'm hungary.

I think it's the Japanese idea of bread, rather than the way they make it]http://www.kaldi.co.jp[/url] .

GJ

[gomichild]

You can buy ok rye bread now in the combini (at least at Natural Lawsons)

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Speaking of rye, I wouldnt mind some Ryvita now. Actualy I would love some multi-grain or sesame, with loads of pate on the top.

Carbs are the enemy!

[GomiGirl]

You can buy ok rye bread now in the combini (at least at Natural Lawsons)

That Natural Lawsons near your place is sensational.. do you have one near your new mansion?

[gomichild]

Don't think so - but there is a good supermarket and a lot of produce from little local farms.

Actually I'm thinking of taking the plunge and buying a bread maker - then I can have as many damn seeds in my bread as I want

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Don't think so - but there is a good supermarket and a lot of produce from little local farms.

Actually I'm thinking of taking the plunge and buying a bread maker - then I can have as many damn seeds in my bread as I want

Bread makers are cool I love making cheese bread out of them and making it really crusty. THe only problem is that you have about a 2 inch hole in the bottom of the bread from the wisk. If you like crust that is even better.

Another thing I would love is an Ice cream maker.

Wow I am starting to sound a bit girly first ryvita and now this.

[cstaylor]

Last time my sister was out here, we tried making sourdough from starter. Ended up more like Sourdough brick, but it was still better by far than what I get at the local bakery.

GJ: Have you tried making sourdough from starter here? With your long years of experience, how would someone who wants the taste of San Francisco sourdough go about making it in Japan?

[japslapper]

I had a very typical J-rice comment today: I am at present organising for a local SHS kid to spend a few years studying in the UK - his parents got all concerned about rice....."what should we do" " Do we need to send rice?". I pointed out that in the UK the ultimate food is Indian, which has rice - delicious basmati rice . The average supermarket in the UK has at least a dozen varieties of rice - and Japanese style rice which is used to make rice pudding..... They couldnt believe it.....a foreign country....rice?



and Japanese bread......cardboard Though its good with Marmite/Vegimite

[Big Booger]

J-bread is just that j-bread.

I miss Jewish Rye and Pumpernickle



Bavarian Rye is also a tasty treat that I miss:

[GuyJean]

Have you tried making sourdough from starter here?

No, I haven't actually. I think because it seems like it would be such a hassle here]With your long years of experience, how would someone who wants the taste of San Francisco sourdough go about making it in Japan?[/quote]
Ah.. the key is in the age of the sourdough starter. The bakery I worked at had starter they began producing 21 years ago. We added water along with rye, wheat and white flour to the remaining starter at the end of each day to keep it going..

The starter is now under lock and key since one of the workers took a small cup home and began to produce his own.. He quit and opened his own bakery in the same town..

GJ