Local eaters have been all about rice, all the time, for a long time. The classic spaghetti plate lunch is a case in point, with its standard two scoops rice included on the plate. Then there’s the chili bowl, incomplete without a scoop of rice, and the loco moco. The list goes on.
The Rice Factory has these suggestions for preparing and keeping rice:
>> Rinse rice before washing. Then gently wash the rice several times.
>> Soak rice at least 30 minutes before starting the rice cooker. Brown rice is best when soaked overnight.
>> Let cooked rice steam an additional 10 to 15 minutes before opening the pot.
>> Before serving, toss rice gently to fluff it with air. This enhances shininess, taste and aroma.
>> Don’t leave rice in a cooker with a warmer for an extended period. Leftover rice should be frozen to maintain its optimal flavor.
Despite that unwavering devotion, the vast majority of us really have no standard for our rice experience. Beyond preferences for white or brown, we aren’t at all finicky about what comes out of the rice pot onto our plates — we chow down everything from pasty, clumpy scoops to dry, crumbly grains.
But there is so much more to rice, and the Rice Factory is out to raise the bar on our appreciation for our favorite foodstuff. The tiny Kakaako store, tucked away along Kawaiahao Street amid car repair and furniture shops, mills four varieties of Japanese rice in-house that it brings in direct from farmers in Japan. Just a minute at the counter perusing the selections is edifying.
Yumepirika rice from Hokkaido, for instance, is soft and sweet, while Nanatsuboshi from Hokkaido has a light taste and less stickiness, making it most ideal for sushi. Then there’s organic Tsuyahime from Yamagata, attractive for its shiny grains, and fragrant Koshi Hikari from Nagano.
Considering these is a far cry from white versus brown.
The shop is owned by Tomohiro Deguchi, who’s built a business on taking Japanese rice to other countries. He’s opened rice shops in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. The Honolulu store opened in June 2015.
“California rice is California rice. Japanese rice is Japanese rice. Each has their own good qualities, but our rice is fresh,” said store manager Sayuki Ushijima. California rice is what is most commonly eaten in Hawaii.
The vast majority of rice in Hawaii is milled months prior to being consumed, and that profoundly affects taste, she said.
“As soon as rice is milled, oxidation begins to (degrade) optimal taste. Hawaii is warm so the impact is more rapid,” she said. “We recommend refrigerating our uncooked rice and eating it within a month.”
Ushijima pointed out that rice from Japan is stamped with a milling date, and even bags of top-quality Japanese rice sold here are several months old.
“Yes, you can get top Japanese rice in Hawaii, but it’s not fresh,” she said, adding that at $60 or $70 a bag, that’s a shame.
In Japan, people check milling dates and eat their rice within one or two weeks of milling. “One month is too old,” she said.
“We want people to know how fresh Japanese rice really tastes.”
Beyond the varieties of rice, the shop also offers a range of millings, expanding customers’ choices beyond white or brown. White rice is 100 percent milled; brown is unmilled. The store mills rice at 10 percent, which means it retains nearly the same amount of nutrients as brown yet can be cooked like white; 50 percent, which allows for the taste of white and many nutrients of brown; and 70 percent, which Ushijima calls “beginner’s” brown rice that looks and tastes almost identical to white.
She said the intent of the store isn’t to bring in gourmet rice; rather, it seeks to supply “everyday” rice that’s more affordable. And because the company deals directly with farmers, prices are more reasonable.
“Reasonable” is relative, however: The price of a 5-pound bag of Nanatsuboshi is $13.99; Yumepirika, $15.99; Koshi Hikari, $17.99; and Tsuyahime, $19.99.
Yet even at these prices, Ushijima says 70 to 80 percent of customers are returnees, and the vast majority of them are local.
“Once people become accustomed to eating Japanese rice, they cannot go back,” she said.
Norris Shito of Pearl City said the organic brown Tsuyahime was a revelation.
“Local people don’t think rice is different, but oh boy, this was so good,” he said. “The nutty flavor compared to other browns, you can tell the difference. I like the outside (of the grain) a little bit hard and the inside medium so there’s a little chew to it. I know how to cook it ’cause I hang out with the rice ladies.”
Now you can find Shito at the FarmLovers Market in Kakaako on Saturdays extolling the virtues of Japanese rice, where the Rice Factory operates a booth. The company also sells rice at a market at Kaiser High School on Tuesday evenings.
“I call out, ‘Rice from Japan!’ and ‘Try the rice!’” he said. “A lot of people buy it, and they return for more.”
Shito said a 5-pound bag lasts his family of four a couple of months, supplemented by California white. The deliciousness of the Japanese rice is well worth the added cost.
“Look, we eat rice every day, right?” he said. “This rice is tasty.”
The Rice Factory, at 955 Kawaiahao St., is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Tuesdays and holidays. Call 800-1520. The store also sells its rice at the FarmLovers Market at Kakaako (8 a.m. to noon Saturdays) and the Kaiser PTSA market at Kaiser High School (4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays).
