This rice variety intrigued me because it came from Fukushima prefecture, which was devastated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which spread radioactive contamination throughout the area. From a NYT article, I learned that these “Grains of Heaven” were supposed to make their debut in 2012, only to have the fields contaminated and a haze of suspicion cast over the agricultural products from the region.
This rice is frequently on sale for about $20/5kg bag, even outside of the special sale events, which seems to indicate that Fukushima products still aren’t able to command a premium price point. The rice comes in an attractive washi paper-looking bag, which is prominently labeled in several places that it comes from Fukushima. Visually, the grains seem a little larger than usual, with about 10% of the content being white grains.
After cooking, the aroma is appetizing, but unremarkable. The grains stay as distinct units and have a nice shine to them. The texture is also good, it’s on the firmer side and has a pleasing mouth feel. Unfortunately the flavor is pretty lacking - it’s bland white rice that doesn’t leave you wanting to come back for more. This would be a good rice to serve as a side dish to something saucy like curry, as the strong flavor of the sauce would complement the excellent texture of the rice. While I applaud Fukushima’s efforts to create a home-grown variety, this isn’t a rice that I would seek out more than once to try.
The Japanese Grain Inspection Association rated this rice as “Average,” which I agree with.
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