How to cook delicious rice
We know what makes rice delicious and the best methods of cooking because we are committed to rice.
The cooking process
Measuring
Thestandard way to measure rice is by using a Japanese rice measuring cup which is 180 ml(150g)* scoop the rice with the cup and use a chopstick or butter knife to level it off. If you don’t have a standard Japanese measuring cup you can measure 180ml in your noｒmal measuring cup. You can also use a kitchen scale and precisely measure 150gof rice.
*180ml(150g) is about two portions of rice
Rinse rice(1)
For the first rinse, the objective is removing off-flavor.
・Prepare a bowl large enough to fit a colander and fill it with cold bottled or filtered(soft) water*.
・Put your pre-measured rice into the colander and dip into the bowl of water.
・Gently swirl it around, and drain water in 10 sec to rinse away off-flavor.
*The flavor of the rice depends heavily on the water it absorbs, so while it might feel like a waste to rinse rice with bottled water, however it will make rice with a clean and delicious flavor.
Rinse rice(2)
For the second and third rinsing, use tap water and repeat the rinsing process 2-3 more times.
・To prevent the rice grains from breaking, just agitate the rice in the water for 10-15 sec.
・Since Akitaya’s rice is already machine polished, it isn’tnecessary to rub the rice many times.
Soak and rest
After rinsing, put the rice in a pot and add bottled(soft) water.
・Ratio of rice to water 1:1 (150g rice: 150g water)
・Let it soak for 30min in summer, 60min in winter.
・Make fine adjustments according to your preference, such as softness or firmness.
Cook the rice
・Put the lid on and turn the heat to high wait until it boils.
・When it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low, simmer for 10-12min.
・When it’s done cooking, open the lid and take a quick peek to check if the water is completely absorbed. If there‘s water left, close the lid and cook for a little longer.
Steam the rice
After turning off the heat, keep the lid on and wait for another 10-15min to let it continue steaming on its own.
Fluff/mix the rice
Before serving the rice, there’s just one more step, to make rice airy and fluffy.
・Make a cross in the rice using a wet shamoji (rice spatula).
・Scoop up from the bottom and use the side of shamoji to mix it gently.