If rice is just rice to you, you are encouraged to keep reading.

Tsuyahime rice from Yamagata prefecture in Japan is not what Hawaii residents are used to eating, and it had local folks reveling at a reception at the Japanese Consulate last week.

The cooked rice, even served cool, tastes almost creamy, with sweet and umami flavor notes. The rice was presented simply as onigiri (rice balls), and onigiri with miso and pickled vegetables, wrapped in cooked seisai, a Japanese cabbage.

Gov. Mieko Yoshimura of Yamagata prefecture told guests that the rice has been extremely popular not just in Japan, but in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, and that the prefecture is expanding its market to Hawaii and the rest of the U.S.

Tsuyahime rice is available at Don Quijote, Marukai, Nijiya Market and Yajima Service Station on South King Street near Keeaumoku Street, according to Eisuke Iwase, president and CEO of TMS Hawaii LLC, producer of the event at the consulate.

“Tsuyahime” means “shining princess” in Japanese. The polishing process that removes the hull gives each grain a shiny finish, like porcelain, Yoshimura said through an interpreter.

The rice is in somewhat limited production because in order to grow the crop, each farmer must be certified and authorized by the prefectural government, she said. Farmers must prove their organic growing techniques and the farm’s soil quality, and that their practices are healthy for people and the environment.

The stringent requirements assure consistency in quality. They also mean the rice is not inexpensive. Two kilos, or 4.4 pounds, costs about $20, considerably more than 20-pound bags of Calrose or Koshihikari rice typically purchased at supermarkets.

Hidehito Uki, founder of Sun Noodle, is the Hawaii distributor of Tsuyahime rice. The rice will be freshly milled in Hawaii, and Uki said it should be eaten within two weeks for optimal flavor.

Tsuyahime rice may be joined in Hawaii by additional products from Japan, said Japanese Consul General Yasushi Misawa, who hosted the gathering.