Even the food acts American

December 10, 1998

There must be many kinds of rice in America. But this is about the rice I buy in the store I go to.

This American rice I buy is amazing to me. It's very different from Japanese rice. (Of course, in Japan I had heard about American rice.) This American rice is just like the American people. Each grain seems determined to remain an individual.

No matter how long I cook it, no matter how much water I add, American rice grains do not become very soft, do not blend. I can never cook what we call okayu (porridge).

Japanese rice grains stick together and blend together. They get very soft.

Every time I thought that my American rice was blending, I was wrong. After it had cooled, each grain had kept its shape. Every time I was amazed.

It's impossible to make omoyu (rice gruel), either.

Maybe it's not so surprising.

Children resemble their parents. Pets resemble their owners. American rice grains are like American rice growers, who love individuality.