Rice can grow in most Asian countries.  Rice can be classified into two major kinds; Indica and Japonica.  Indica rice is relatively dry while Japonica rice is moist and chewy.  The Japanese people like Japonica rice.  White rice is a good match with any side dishes.  In Japan, we also have many kinds of preserved food boiled in soy, called “Tsukudani,” pickled plums, or pickled vegetables which all go well with white rice.  Because of its simple and plain taste, rice can be made into different tastes by seasonings.  “Takikomi gohan” or cooked rice seasoned with soup stock and other ingredients is a good example.  When making Takikomi gohan, we usually select the seasonal ingredients to mix with rice.  For that reason, Japanese people find it fun and special to feel the coming season way ahead by having Takikomi gohan.  Bamboo shoot and green peas are good spring ingredients.  Chestnuts, Matsutake mushroom, and oysters make good autumn Takikomi gohan.  I think that Takikomi gohan with the seasonal ingredients that are available only for that season of the year is a real luxury.

In Western societies, luxuries are considered to be expensive products or dishes such as a slice of beef, fole gras, or caviar that may cost a couple of thousands yen per 100g.  But the Japanese people are refined that we consider it the best luxury to eat the first product of the season rather than just expensive meals. 

The Japanese people believe that not only Takikomi gohan, but also the first products of the season can prolong their lifespan for 3 years.  This custom has a long history and it has been practiced for over 400 years, since the Edo period among the general people. 

Glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed is called “Chimaki,” or Zongzi.   Chimaki is also made in China.  The traditional Chinese Chimaki usually has chopped pork, bamboo shoot, sesame oil and some other ingredients.  It is considered to be a mother’s cooking in Chinese food.  Rice can be stir-fired.  With butter, rice makes pilaf.　　In Europe, after rice is stir-fried with olive oil, add seafood and season with saffron, it is now a famous Spanish rice dish, paella.

The mother’s rice dish in Japan has changed its form as an Onigiri, a rice ball, and it has been passed down to the present day.  Donburi, rice bowl dishes have rice on the bottom of a bowl with a main dish on top.  The main dish is usually seasoned quite strong so it is favorable to eat Donburi dishes for lunch.  Rice porridge or risotto is cooked with water or soup.  Recently, many Italian restaurants provide a variety of risotto and we can try to cook the similar flavor at home.  In this way, repertories of rice dishes continue to change year after year. 

A typical and well-known Korean rice dish is bibimbap.  Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish.  Although it is well-known, it is not so easy to make the stone-roasted bibimbap at home.  But I can tell you that internationalization and diversifying of rice dishes will not stop.  Moreover, we must keep it in our mind that rice is absolutely cheaper than bread.  If there is some leftover rice enough to fill a rice bowl, you can make gratin for two or three persons.  Regardless of gender, how you can arrange with leftover is a challenging skill for a good cook to brush up.