Japanese Rice, Curiosity, & Expertise

Growing up, whenever rice was prepared and served in our household, you could almost guarantee it would be Uncle Ben’s Converted rice; white, tasteless, quick, and dependable.

When I moved out and began cooking for myself, I started wandering into health food stores. That’s when I discovered a whole world beyond Uncle Ben’s: basmati, brown rice, long grain, short grain, etc.

Later, as I tried to master Japanese cooking, I realized just how many varieties of japonica rice exist (e.g., Akitakomachi, Haenuki, Hitomebore, Koshihikari, Sasanishiki, etc.), each with its own flavor, texture, preparation methods, best uses, and so on.

Now, what seemed like a bland easy-to-prepare staple became a window into a unique history, culture, geography, and craftsmanship.

As I kept learning, I had more questions.

And what I realized was this:

The more time you spend with your subject or skill, combined with the greater curiosity and creativity you can muster, the more layers of complexity you will uncover.

That’s what separates dabbling as an amateur from developing as an expert.

Photo Credit:

Title: Japonica rice field  in Japan

Photographer: “No machine-readable source”