Tamaki Haiga - Shortgrain Rice 2kg

UPDATE: September 30, 2020 Replenished my stock and it was put into a box without any headroom (the bag touched the top of the box) so when I cut it open it cut open the bag of rice. Annoying. The rice is nitrogen-packed which keeps it fresh and I wasn't ready to open this bag for another couple of weeks. :( I love rice. Short grain, long grain, sushi, basmati, arborio, carnaroli, bomba, Jasmine, sticky, black, red, green, white. But for many years, Lundberg Golden Rose, a medium-to-short grain brown rice, was my standard, every day rice, and pretty much my favorite rice, despite being brown. (In other varieties of rice I preferred the taste of white rice.) Sadly, they stopped growing it. I was looking for another all-around day-to-day rice. I experimented making GABA rice, I also sprouted rice, and tried other ways to coax myself to eat brown rice. I had two concerns: Limiting the phytic acid/making the nutrients bio available and flavor. I did feel slightly virtuous eating the sprouted and GABA rice, but the one aspect of brown rice I did like (not the taste), the "bite" or chewiness, was destroyed. Then a few years ago I heard about Haga Mai, but it wasn't readily available. When I saw this on Amazon, I knew I had to try it. This rice is ridiculously delicious. It is chewy, has the mildness of white rice with just a bit of the rich flavor of brown. It could end up being my permanent replacement for Golden Rose. But it is very pricey. I am hoping that if demand increases, the price will come down. Really good though! *I'm still rating it four stars for value for money because if it is as nutritionally rich as all the hype, it's a pretty good value.

I absolutely love this rice. It's delicious and nutritious. I like to make it in my instant pot and it comes out perfect every time. 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of liquid (I like to make it with broth) or water, a generous pinch of salt. Cook 4 minutes at high pressure and allow for natural pressure release (which takes about 15-20 minutes) and the rice comes out perfect. Tender with just the right amount of chew. Sometimes I sauté a finely chopped shallot in duck fat (or butter) directly in the Instant Pot before adding the rice and liquid for extra flavor. Mmmm, I'm going to make some today! P.S. Make sure to rinse the rice well several times before use.

I've cooked Tamaki Haiga for many years and happy that it can now be purchased through Amazon. These days I add a tbsp of shio koji to a pot when I cook it.

Our favorite rice.

I’ve never even heard of this stuff until I read a review on a cooking website. First of all it’s quick and easy to make. It tastes nutty and almost grain like but not as much bite as brown rice. It’s healthier than white rice too retaining the germ inside with all the vitamins. The outer bran (that makes brown rice brown) has been removed so there is less fiber but less arsenic as well. Yes it is expensive but well worth it. I won’t use anything else at home ever again.

I only eat Tamaki Haiga rice and don’t mind spending $$ since the quality, flavor, and texture set it apart from all other Japanese brands of haiga rice. I ran out and could not purchase at my local grocery so I ordered online which I never did for rice. It arrived quickly and the packaging looks identical but the rice is NOT what I expected. ITamaki Haiga is nutty with part of the husk intact and this was white, soft and pasty. I would not use this vendor again for anything.

Great!

We cook rice in the rice cooker with smaller amount of water to get it a bit more al dente. The whole family really likes the taste. And as added benefit it is healthier than fully polished rice. Alternatively, we cook a pilaf with this rice. It cooks fast, so wash it quickly, do not pre-soak in water, limit cooking time... And everything turns out very tasty. Very good rice. This is our choice nowadays.