Figure 1: A Bowl of the Japanese rice variety KoshiHikari.
The principal Japanese StapleFood. Rice has been enjoyed for countless millennia as a source of Energy. The History of RiceCultivation stretches back to the JomonPeriod of JapaneseHistory, and evidence of its production can be found in various ArchaeologicalSites. Rice is typically cultivated around May, with its harvest occurring around August-September.
Varieties In Japan, the dominant variety of rice is JaponicaRice. These short grains possess a certain stickiness, luster, and hardness to them that contrasts them with other EastAsian rice subspecies. It is said that JaponicaRice evolved as it travelled by way of China and Korea to Japan, where it remains the ancestral rice that authorities claim has been produced in the same manner for the better part of Recorded JapaneseHistory.
Figure 1: A Bowl of the Japanese rice variety KoshiHikari.
Cultivation and Preparation Rice has undergone a great deal of changes in its preparation in the last century alone. Before the development of contemporary FarmingTech, the precise HarvestTime, water treatment, and temperature fluctuations played a crucial role: a year's good rice harvest was considered a blessing for the oncoming challenges one faced.
For a considerable length of time, rice was cooked in charcoal braziers or over hearths which the FamilyUnit alternately used for warmth and portioning of the food. At present, most JapanesePeople use automated RiceCookers which streamline the TemperatureControl, Texture, and even NutrientContent of rice.
Figure 2: A traditional Kamado, or wood/charcoal cooking apparatus used for rice.