Organic Tottori Asahi (brown rice) by Mr. Tanimoto

The mythical native rice, Tottori Asahi, has been revived after nearly 90 years. This rice was grown without pesticides by Masatoshi Tanimoto, using the bounty of Hiruzen.

Tottori Asahi has been widely cultivated in Tottori Prefecture since around 1935. During the postwar food shortages, varieties were improved to make cultivation more efficient, and farmers who cultivated traditional native varieties that were labor-intensive to cultivate gradually disappeared. In recent years, it has hardly been cultivated, so it is said to be a "phantom variety."

Although Tottori Asahi has disappeared due to the changing times, its deliciousness has a good flavor and depth of flavor that modern rice does not have. It has little stickiness, a clean sweetness without any unpleasant taste, and a umami flavor that increases the more you chew it. Brown rice has a fun, chewy texture. The large grains are satisfying to eat, but they don't make you feel heavy after eating, so you'll want to eat bowl after bowl.

Like white rice, brown rice is also great when eaten simply as a rice ball with salt. The flavor doesn't fade easily even when it cools down, and the large grains mean there's just the right amount of space between each grain, so you can enjoy the fluffy texture even after a while.

But freshly cooked rice served in a bowl is still the best! Delicious rice is the best treat on its own. Savoring the flavor is what it means to savor it, and with each bite, the rich flavor slowly seeps into your mouth.

The difference between traditional rice and modern rice

In recent years, sweet, chewy, and sticky texture that remains chewy even when cooled has become popular, and most varieties contain the properties of "glutinous rice" (amylopectin).

Amylopectin, which gives rice a good taste, has the drawback of being sticky and difficult to digest. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of infants and children who develop atopic dermatitis and rice allergies, and it is believed that one of the causes is the influence of starch.

On the other hand, the native rice that is the ancestor of modern rice is not glutinous rice, but non-glutinous rice, which contains a starch called amylose. It is less likely to be converted to sugar and is slowly digested and absorbed, so it is said to put less strain on the body and less likely to cause rice allergies. The light feeling after eating seems to be due to the difference in starch quality. The native rice that has been eaten since ancient times may be suited to the original constitution of the Japanese people.

The secret to deliciousness is soil, water, and people

The producer of Tottori Asahi is Masatoshi Tanimoto of Ma Farm, a family farm that has been in business for generations in Sekikin, Kurayoshi City, located in the heart of Hiruzen, on the border between Okayama and Tottori prefectures.

Sekigane is a place surrounded by mountains and rich in nature, about 20 minutes by car from Kurayoshi city. The Ogamo River, which has been selected as the river with the best water quality in Japan, flows through the area. Due to the severe temperature difference at an altitude of nearly 300m, the clear water, and the sandy loam soil, which has good drainage, it has long been a rice-growing area that produces delicious rice.

After his grandfather became ill from pesticides, he started growing rice with reduced or no pesticides, with the desire to "produce safe and secure food." He is currently also focusing on producing Dinkel wheat, an ancient grain grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers.

What is important to Tanimoto is to "watch over them without interfering too much."

While searching for native varieties that had long been grown in the area using the power of nature, they came across Tottori Asahi and began cultivating it.

Tottori Asahi is grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizer after planting (organic fertilizer is spread during the seedling period).

As no herbicides are used, manual weeding is a labor-intensive process, but when asked about the difficulties of cultivating the rice, Tanimoto-san replied, "It's a variety that is suitable for growing without fertilizer, so it's not that difficult." The rice grains tend to fall off the ears easily, and so the rice husks tend to fall off before harvest, but he is sincere in his efforts to cultivate the rice, saying, "I want to deliver rice that everyone can eat with peace of mind."

It is said that the character of the rice grower is reflected in the way he grows it. Tottori Asahi was revived by Mr. Tanimoto's passion while facing the nature of Sekikin. It is delicious, packed with gentle flavors. Although the quantity is limited, please enjoy the traditional taste.

This is unavoidable because of the natural cultivation methods.

Since the vegetables are grown naturally without the use of pesticides or other agricultural chemicals, they may contain insects.

If insects appear, remove them by straining the rice through a sieve or spreading it out on newspaper and drying it in a well-ventilated, shady area (please note that if you expose the rice to direct sunlight, the surface of the rice will dry out and crack). There may be eggs remaining in the rice container, so be sure to wash it and dry it thoroughly.

Rice is a fresh food. It is best stored in an airtight container at temperatures below 15°C (preferably in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator).

*Rice is a fresh food, so please consume it as soon as possible.

*Store away from direct sunlight, high temperatures and humidity, preferably at temperatures below 15°C.

Contents / 2kg