Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 1kg
A rice variety bred in Japan specifically for sushi, grown by Agri Yamazaki in Ibaraki. Firm, separate grains from new-crop rice. 1kg.
Most Japanese table rice is bred to be soft and sticky, which is lovely in a bowl and hard work as shari. Emi no Kizuna (笑みの絆) was bred the other way. Japan's national agricultural research body, NARO, developed it for sushi: a slightly firm grain that separates easily and tastes clean, so it takes vinegar evenly and holds a nigiri together without turning to paste. This 1kg bag is grown and packed by Agri Yamazaki, a family rice farm in Bandō, Ibaraki Prefecture. The bag's own advice is simple: use new rice to make good sushi rice. It is the rice on the pass at two-Michelin-star Ynyshir in Wales.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Bred for shari: Emi no Kizuna was selected for sushi rice, with a slightly firm texture and grains that come apart cleanly.
- Good from new crop: sushi chefs have long preferred older, drier rice; this variety is made to give a firm, separate grain from the new harvest.
- Even seasoning: firm grains take sushi vinegar evenly rather than going soft and wet on the surface.
- Chef-tested: used at Gareth Ward's two-star Ynyshir, one of the kitchens we supply directly.
How to Use
- Rinse: wash in cold water, changing it several times, until it runs nearly clear. This removes loose surface starch.
- Soak and drain: soak for around 30 minutes, then drain well before measuring the cooking water.
- Cook slightly dry: sushi rice wants a touch less water than table rice. Start at equal weights of rice and water and adjust to your pot.
- Season warm: fold sushi vinegar through while the rice is hot, with a cutting action, fanning as you go to cool it and bring up the shine.
Emi no Kizuna (笑みの絆, "bond of smiles") was developed by NARO, the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, from 2002 and registered in 2011. The breeders were after two things: a firm, clean-tasting grain suited to vinegared rice, and tolerance to hot summers, so the grains stay clear and sound rather than chalky when the weather turns. It can be grown wherever Koshihikari grows, from southern Tōhoku down through Kantō and beyond. Agri Yamazaki (有限会社アグリ山崎) farms in Bandō, in the southwest of Ibaraki Prefecture on the Kantō plain, and has passed from father to daughter. The label calls it お寿司のお米: rice for sushi.
Learn more: Japanese Rice
Why do sushi chefs prefer a firmer rice?
Because shari has a job to do. The rice has to take up seasoning evenly, hold its shape when pressed lightly into nigiri, and still fall apart in the mouth. Very soft, sticky rice gets wet and pasty once vinegar goes in, and it clumps rather than packs. That is why sushi chefs traditionally reach for older rice, which has dried a little in storage and cooks firmer. Emi no Kizuna was bred to give that firmer, more separate grain while it is still new-crop rice. Cooked, it tastes clean and lightly sweet, with a slight bite, and it keeps its gloss once seasoned.
Product Details
| Type | Japanese short-grain rice (uruchimai) for sushi |
| Variety | Emi no Kizuna (笑みの絆), bred by NARO, registered 2011 |
| Grower | Agri Yamazaki (有限会社アグリ山崎) |
| Origin | Bandō, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan |
| Texture | Slightly firm, grains separate easily |
| Net Weight and Format | 1kg bag |
| Storage | Cool, dry and airtight, away from strong smells |
| Best Used As | Sushi rice (shari), onigiri, donburi |
What rice-to-water ratio should I use?
Start at equal weights of rinsed, drained rice and water, which gives the slightly firm grain sushi needs. For a softer rice for bowls or onigiri, add around 10% more water. Every pot and hob behaves differently, so adjust by small amounts until the grain is cooked through with a slight bite. Rest the rice, lid on, for about 10 minutes off the heat before seasoning.
How much sushi vinegar per kilo of rice?
A common starting point is around 100ml of seasoned sushi vinegar per kilo of raw rice, adjusted to taste and to how the rice will be used. Nigiri often takes a little more seasoning than rice for rolls or bowls. Fold it through the hot rice in a wide tub with a cutting motion, fanning as you go, and never stir, which breaks the grains.
How should I store rice once the bag is open?
Transfer it to an airtight container and keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark. Rice absorbs moisture and smells from its surroundings, so keep it away from spices, the stove and the bin. Kept well, it holds its quality for a few months, but new-crop rice is at its best when used reasonably soon.
Ingredients and allergens
Ingredients: Rice 100%.
Allergen information is taken from the manufacturer's import specification; always check the pack before use.
SKU : R0050