In the new rice season　　

　Yoshie Doi

14^th Oct. 2025: Freshly Cooked Earthenware Pot Rice OMOYA by Hachidaime Gibei	18^th Oct. 2025: Nitankuma Kita Branch, Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto Branch
21^st June 2025: Tempura musubi at Miyoshiya Udon	2^nd April, 2025: Wagokoro Izumi
5^th March 2025: Ryokan Shiraume	4^th December 2024: Kyoto Cuisine Manshige Main Branch
15^th October 2025 Mochitake Arare

I am happy and grateful every day to be able to enjoy delicious new rice during the new rice season. In particular, restaurants offer seasoned rice and new rice during this delicious rice season.

　We visited the eighth generation Gihei, which opened in September, and enjoyed some newly harvested rice. They developed a one-person earthenware pot that can be cooked in 20 minutes, and it’s served in that pot. With the current trend of people moving away from rice at an accelerated pace, Gihei opened in Nishioji Shichijo, the place where the restaurant was founded, with the goal of spreading the deliciousness of rice to the world, thereby eliminating this trend. We enjoyed a delicious OMOYA meal. Their rice and nigiri-meshi are also sold at OMOYA.

　Also, when I visited Tankuma Kita branch at the Regal Royal Hotel Kyoto branch, the rice was delicious, and when I told the head chef, “The rice was delicious,” he replied, “The rice was grown by our staff in Miyama,” which surprised me. Miyama is an area blessed with clean water and mountains. If you order at Tankuma, they will deliver it directly to your home.

　Recently, the number of shops that grow their own rice has increased. At Mochitake, where I always order rice crackers, they make pesticide-free and additive-free rice crackers, and the owner uses glutinous rice grown in Kameoka.

　Nothing makes me happiest than safe and secure food. Grown with care and attention, the rice is overflowing with special energy. The additive-free tempura musubi at Kyo Udon Miyoshiya in Uji City, which I visited in June, are delicious and I could eat as many as I wanted. The rice at Wagokoro Izumi, which I visited during cherry blossom season, is always delicious, and I always look forward to making rice balls with the leftover rice from the earthenware pot and taking them home to eat. I also look forward to the rice at Ryokan Shiraume, and I thoroughly enjoy the seasonal flavors. The rice at Kyoto Cuisine Manju has a delicate flavor, and is a beloved restaurant among the discerning Nishijin men.

　These days, I enjoy cooking rice every day because it tastes delicious in each season.

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Translated by Masami Otani