Rice is nice for people the world over and it’s officially National Rice Month, so it seems fitting that the First Annual Hawaii Rice Festival on Saturday will showcase all the delicious ways the staple provides sustenance.

The event, running noon to 8 p.m. at Aloha Tower Marketplace, will include everything from a cooking demonstration and a Spam musubi-eating contest to a Twitter scavenger hunt.

Enjoy favorite rice dishes, including fried rice, sushi, risotto, bi bim bap and paella, plus sake, mochi, rice cake, rice pudding, Rice Krispies and more.

Events highlights: A "riceipe" cooking contest that will pool amateurs and professionals in a cook-off; the Spam musubi contest that will award the winner enough rice to last a year (that’s a lot of musubi); a rice education booth; a drawing contest for kids; and a T-shirt design contest that will provide next year’s official rice fest shirt. There’s even a booth that will collect donations of brown rice, which will benefit the "Meals on Wheels" program that feeds the elderly.

Participating restaurants include Don Ho’s Island Grill, Big City Diner, KATS Sushi, Eastern Food Center and Soul Patrol.

Entertainment will feature Kapena, the De Lima Ohana, taiko drumming and Heart & Soul.

Visit www.ricefest.com, www.twitter.com/ricefest and www.facebook.com/ricefest. Or call 237-3675.

Below is a recipe that will appeal to fish fans who love Japanese food — and, of course, rice. It’s a Seafood Risotto from chef Hideaki "Santa" Miyoshi of Tokkuri Tei restaurant.

SEAFOOD RISOTTO

» Topping:
1 cup yamaimo
1/2 pound ahi fillet
1/2 pound salmon fillet
1/4 cup finely sliced green onion
1/4 pound ikura
» Risotto:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 pound enoki mushrooms
1/4 pound shimeji mushrooms
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
» Teriyaki Cream Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Black pepper, to taste
Granulated garlic, to taste
» Garnish:
4 teaspoons masago
2 to 3 stalks asparagus, sliced on the diagonal (optional)
Sriracha sauce, to taste

To peel yamaimo, use gloves, then dice. Slice fish into bite-size slices. Toss all toppings together and set aside in refrigerator.

To make teriyaki cream sauce: On medium heat, melt butter in nonstick pan. Add mirin and soy sauce and mix. Add heavy cream. Stir constantly, keeping heat on medium. If temperature is too high sauce will burn. Continue reducing; color will darken.

Check consistency of sauce by dipping spoon and lifting it out. Sauce is done when it sticks to back of spoon. Season to taste with pepper and granulated garlic.

For risotto, combine butter, sauce, rice, mushrooms and cheese. Heat to melt butter and cheese.

To assemble, put layer of risotto in a bowl. Top with yamaimo, fish and ikura mixture. Garnish with masago and asparagus, if using. Add Sriracha sauce to taste. Serves 4.

Nutritional analysis unavailable