I bought this rice as a consolation purchase after the store had run out of the Hokkaido Nanatsuboshi that I was originally intending to buy. It is a descendant of koshihikari that was first described in 2018 and bred to be disease resistant, yield more grain, and be easier to grow. The cultivar name, Niji no Kirameki, makes one excited to taste the “sparkle of the rainbow.”
Visually, the uncooked grains appear normal in size, with about 40-50% of the grains appearing white, indicating poor maturation conditions.
After cooking, the grains came out distinct yet a little dull, with a soft stickiness that held together well. The aroma was unremarkable, and the flavor was fairly bland, which was foreshadowed by the numerous white grains before cooking. The intenese sweetness that I have come to associate with high end rice was not present, but it did have a slightly sweet flavor, maybe a 2 out of 5. Texturally, the grains do not have much bite/firmness and mush together quickly in the mouth in a dissatisfying way.
This rice’s mild flavor will definitely not overpower any other food and I would consider it a half step better than a cheap rice like Nishiki, but at its premium price point, this is a definite skip. I will be using the remainder of the bag as a base to pour saucy dishes like curry, chili, mapo tofu, etc over, as eating it by itself does not bring me joy.
The Japanese Grain Inspection Association has ranked this rice as “Average,” and I would agree with them.
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