Dear Alice,
I recently returned to Japan after 12 years back in my home country. I knew a lot of things would be different after such a long time away, but I never expected the rice to have changed! My former home-stay mom was always a stickler about washing the rice thoroughly before cooking, but when I went to visit the other day she didn’t rinse it even once. She says she uses “no-wash rice” now. What the heck is that? And while you’re at it, can you explain why it was ever necessary to wash Japanese rice in the first place?
Mary Ann, Toyama Prefecture
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