Experience Heavenly Rice from Kyoto’s Finest: “Hachidaime-gihey”

　“Hachidaime-gihey” wishes that more people would enjoy the quality rice that producers all over Japan have put their hearts and souls into in its most delicious state. We believe that eating truly delicious rice will change people’s attitudes towards rice, eventually putting a stop to the recent decrease in interest in rice in Japan. 

　When it comes to the quality of rice, people tend to look at the production area and types of rice, but what we consider most important is the blending techniques. By combining delicious rice from different regions and varieties, we strive to create “a rich flavor that makes people want to ask for seconds.” The essential part of this process is the collection of data. The characteristics of crops change from year to year, and the impact of global warming is getting more and more significant every year. Therefore, in order to master the art of rice blending using the latest crop data, Hashimoto Gihey the president of the company, conducts more than 2,000 taste tests per year.

　Milling is another critical process. In order to bring out the true flavor of rice, we use a low-temperature milling technique that does not affect the taste of rice. The temperature for milling is set at 30 °C or lower in winter and 34 °C or lower in summer, and the whiteness standard is set at +18 (±1), focusing on the slow and mindful milling of rice, not efficiency.

　The rice blend we’ve created for the RIHGA Place Kyoto Shijo Karasuma is characterized by its sweetness that fills your mouth, as well as its smooth texture with well-defined grains. We also occasionally provide lectures on how to rinse and cook rice so that you can enjoy the most delicious Onigiri whenever you want.