Haiga Rice
Haiga rice is the equivalent of high-extraction wheat flour: it has the husk (bran) removed while retaining the germ. As a result, it is more nutritious and also (in our opinion) tastier. We’ve started using it as our go-to when we want to top rice with a sauced product such as Instant Pot Pork Adobo or Chinese takeout.
Explanation of haiga rice, from the Tamaki package
According to this article haiga rice was promoted by the Japanese government starting in 1928 to combat beri-beri, a disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin B1 which killed 14,000 Japanese soldiers during the Japanese-Russo war. Haiga contains three times as much B1 as milled white rice. Epicurious found a couple of Japanese food experts who give haiga praise for its nutritional value but don’t like the taste; they prefer the clean, neutral flavor profile of white rice. (White rice sold in Japan today is enriched with added vitamins, so there’s less worry about beri-beri.)
We disagree and recommend you try it. We buy Tamaki brand at our local Asian market and pay $14 for 4.4 pounds. You can get the same thing on Amazon for $20 delivered, a reasonable markup to have it shipped to your door. Better yet, you can buy 5 pounds of Nishiki brand for just $15 shipped. (Amazon Prime membership required; affiliate links pay us a small commission when you use them.)
To cook haiga rice, rinse it in a couple of changes of water till the runoff is semi-clear. Do this carefully, so you don’t dislodge and wash away the germ; rather than running water over rice in a sieve you should add water to the rice in its pot, then stir with your fingers and pour out most but not all of the rinsing water. Then add water in a ratio of 1.1 parts water to 1 part rice. (You probably have that extra tenth of a measure in the pot after rinsing.) Let set for a few minutes, then cover and heat to a low boil over medium heat.
As soon as the rice gives off steam, reduce the heat as low as you can and cook another 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice continue cooking from residual heat for another 15 minutes. You can do all this in advance if you’re making other dishes; the rice will stay warm for quite a while. It also reheats beautifully in a steamer or microwave.
