Rice from Niigata

“Niigata Rice”

Rice nurtured by snow and rivers

The winter season in Niigata prefecture, which was the setting for the classical novel, “Snow Country” by Yasunari Kawabata (Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968), is covered with heavy snowfall, especially in the Uonuma region with more than three meters of snowfall. As the season gradually shifts from cold winter to spring, the snow melts and flows into the large river called, “Shinano River” supporting the rice cultivation of premium Niigata rice. Niigata is rich in nature, water, and the tireless efforts of farming communities to produce “Niigata rice.”

In fact, rice is a gluten-free and vegan produce, so can be enjoyed by vegans and people with gluten-allergies. The harvested rice is locally processed by the milling technology developed in Niigata, and this fine-grained rice flour or komeko, is well suited for producing noodles, bread, baked goods, and confectionaries. In addition, rice bread crumbs or panko made from rice flour bread, expands the range of fried food menus such tempuras and croquettes for gluten-free and vegan foodies.

We will continue making an effort to broaden gluten-free and vegan option foods with Niigata rice and its processing technology around the world.