Autumn's New Rice, Cooked with Care

OCT. 2018 -no.1

Kanedai Pottery / Rice Pot Size 3, White Kanedai Pottery / Rice Pot Size 1, Black

A pot designed for delicious rice

Seeing the words new-season rice brings a little anticipation. It is delicious in an ordinary rice cooker, but a donabe offers another way to enjoy the harvest. For the winter season featured here, POTPURRI again introduced Iga clay pots from Kanedai Pottery. Individually made by Oya, the pots combine a distinctive presence with a useful size and a manageable weight—qualities that matter in an everyday tool. Iga clay has a relatively coarse, porous structure and retains heat well, allowing food to cook gradually. Rice takes on a pleasingly full texture, and the pot holds its warmth at the table. An ordinary donabe can cook rice, but the deeper form of a purpose-made rice pot gives it more room as it cooks. At first, Oya's rice pot may seem rather large, and you might wonder where to store it. But that size has a purpose. Oya explained that the rounded interior gives the rice and water room to circulate during cooking. The curved body and lid were developed together with that movement in mind. It is a form shaped by the wish to cook a good pot of rice.

Preparing the pot before its first use

Some new donabe pots need seasoning before their first use. Check the instructions supplied with your pot: the method below applies to the porous Iga clay pot featured here. Starch helps fill its tiny pores and reduce seepage and odor absorption; it does not make a pot resistant to thermal shock. 1. Wash the pot and let it dry completely. The outside and base must be dry before placing it over heat. 2. Fill it roughly four-fifths full with water, add some cooked rice and simmer over low heat to make a loose porridge. Turn off the heat. 3. Let it cool naturally, allowing about an hour or longer as needed. Remove the porridge only after the pot has cooled, then wash it. 4. Let the pot air-dry thoroughly before use or storage.

Cooking rice in a donabe

Once the pot has been seasoned as directed, try cooking rice in three stages. These amounts and times are a starting point for the pot featured here; follow your own pot's instructions and adjust as needed. 1. Rinse the rice and soak it—about 30 minutes in summer or an hour in winter is the guide used here. Drain it, then transfer it to the pot. For 2 go of dry rice, measured before soaking in a 180 ml Japanese rice cup, start with 400–450 ml water; for 3 go, use 600–650 ml. Adjust the water to suit the rice and your preferred texture. 2. Begin over medium heat. Once it boils, reduce to low and cook for about 15 minutes. 3. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for about 10 minutes. Then open carefully, avoiding the hot steam, and fluff the rice to release excess moisture. Rice cooked in a donabe can develop an inviting aroma and a light toasted layer at the bottom. Different rice varieties need different amounts of water and cooking time. Experiment within the maker's guidance to find the finish you enjoy. The depth of a purpose-made rice pot gives the rice and water room to move as they cook.

Berg Rice Bowl / Green Berg 18 cm Plate / Green

Something special for meals around the family table

  Alongside new rice, autumn brings chestnuts, sweet potatoes, mushrooms and Pacific saury. Cook seasonal ingredients with rice for a welcoming dish to share with family or guests. The warmth of a donabe feels especially fitting as the season deepens. Once the rice is ready, you may want to choose chopsticks and a bowl that make it even more enjoyable to eat. One useful consideration is how comfortably a rice bowl sits in one hand. A shallow bowl can show off the sheen of the grains, while a deeper one holds a generous mound. Finding the shape that feels right in your hand is part of the pleasure.

Berg Rice Bowl / Green

Kanedai Pottery / Rice Bowl

POTPURRI introduces the rice bowl from masamura craft's Berg collection. Berg means mountain in German, and the form recalls the hills of Mino. It comes in a nuanced green that contrasts with white rice and a gentle white that brings out the grains' sheen. The bowl is thin, light and comfortable to hold. We also introduce bowls individually thrown on the wheel by Oya. Their soft white finish presents rice beautifully, with a useful size and depth for a generous helping. Choose between these and the bowls you already own to suit the meal and your mood. A rice pot can do more than cook rice. Just as an ordinary donabe can cook rice, a rice pot can also be used for suitable hot-pot dishes and other recipes. With a compatible steaming plate, it can become a steamer too. The enclosed steam gently cooks vegetables, fish and other ingredients. Use the pot and any accessories according to the maker's instructions. A rice pot offers another way to enjoy the flavors of the season around the table.