Common Grain Types and Their Origins in Japan

Hey, talking about Japanese grains is quite interesting, as it's not just about the food we eat daily, but also closely related to delicious things like sake and whisky. Let me break it down for you.

Simply put, the most common grains in Japan are mainly these:

1. Rice (お米 - Okome)

This is undoubtedly the king, the soul of Japanese food culture.

• Types and Uses: The white rice (うるち米 - Uruchimai) we usually eat is the main type. Besides that, there's glutinous rice (もち米 - Mochigome), used for making mochi (rice cakes) and sekihan (red bean glutinous rice). More importantly, rice is the core ingredient for brewing Japanese sake and rice vinegar. Different types of rice are used for different purposes; for example, rice for brewing is called "sake rice," with "Yamadanishiki" being the most famous, known for its large grains and low protein content, making it ideal for brewing.

• Source: Japanese rice is mostly domestically produced, and they are very proud of their local rice. You might have heard of Niigata Prefecture's "Koshihikari" rice, which is synonymous with high-quality rice. The Japanese government protects the rice industry well, so the market is primarily supplied with domestic rice, with very little imported.

2. Barley and Wheat (麦 - Mugi)

"Mugi" in Japan is a large family, mainly including barley and wheat.

• Barley (大麦 - Oomugi)

  • Uses: When you go to a Japanese restaurant in the summer, the brown, unsweetened, and very refreshing tea served is Mugi-cha (barley tea), made from roasted barley grains. Additionally, many Japanese people, for health reasons, mix some barley with white rice when cooking, which is called "mugi-meshi" (barley rice). "Mugi-miso" (barley miso) used in miso soup is also fermented with barley.
  • Speaking of Whisky: This is a big one. The core ingredient of Japanese whisky is barley! Especially for Single Malt Whisky, the law requires it to be 100% made from malted barley (i.e., malt). Famous distilleries like Yamazaki, Yoichi, and Hakushu use high-quality malt.
  • Source: Japan does grow barley, but the yield is far from sufficient, especially for the barley needed for whisky and beer, which is mostly imported. It mainly comes from Australia, Canada, and Europe.

• Wheat (小麦 - Komugi)

  • Uses: You're definitely familiar with this. The ramen, udon, and somen noodles that Japanese people love, as well as soft shokupan (toast bread), and the crispy coating for tempura, are all made from wheat flour. Even the soy sauce we eat is made from soybeans and wheat.
  • Source: In contrast to its widespread use, wheat production in Japan is very low. Therefore, Japan is highly dependent on imported wheat, being one of the largest wheat importers in the world. It mainly imports from the United States, Canada, and Australia. So, even though udon noodles are a "national food" in Japan, most of their ingredients are "foreign goods."

3. Buckwheat (蕎麦 - Soba)

Although it has "mugi" (meaning barley/wheat) in its name, buckwheat is actually distantly related to the grains mentioned above; it does not belong to the grass family. However, in terms of usage, everyone treats it as a grain.

• Uses: Very clear, it's for making soba noodles! One of Japan's three major noodles (ramen, udon, soba), it's very popular whether eaten cold or hot.
• Source: It is produced domestically in Japan, with buckwheat from Hokkaido and Nagano Prefecture being famous. However, domestic production cannot meet the huge consumption, so it also needs to be imported in large quantities from China, Russia, and other places.

4. Other Miscellaneous Grains (雑穀 - Zakkoku)

Grains like millet (粟 - Awa) and sorghum (黍 - Kibi) are called "zakkoku" in Japan. Nowadays, for health reasons, it's popular to add a handful of these miscellaneous grains to rice and cook them together to make "zakkoku-mai" (mixed grain rice). The production of these grains is not large, and they are mainly grown domestically.

To summarize in the simplest terms:

• Rice: The absolute king, mainly for eating and brewing sake, almost entirely domestically produced in Japan.
• Barley: Mainly for drinking (barley tea, whisky, beer) and mixing with rice, mostly imported.
• Wheat: Mainly for noodles and bread, overwhelmingly imported.
• Buckwheat: Mainly for soba noodles, partially domestic, partially imported.

So, the next time you're eating ramen or drinking whisky in Japan, you can think about how these delicious foods are actually connected to the global agricultural supply chain. Isn't that fascinating?