From the Rice Fields to the Dinner Table: This Year’s New Harvest

The new rice harvest is in.

The rice harvest is complete.

The rice we grow is the “Akita Komachi” variety. Since planting the seedlings in the spring, we’ve weathered the summer heat and the long autumn rains, and the day of the harvest has finally arrived. As we cut the golden, drooping rice ears, memories from the past six months come flooding back all at once.

After being cut, the rice is dried and hulled before it finally becomes “rice.”

Since rice right after harvest contains a lot of moisture, there’s a special technique to cooking it.

I always eat the very first bite as plain white rice, without any side dishes. It has that characteristic chewy texture of Akita Komachi, and a sweetness that unfolds the more you chew.

“Delicious.”

We’ll be serving this new crop of rice for breakfast and dinner to the guests who’ll be staying at our inn from now on.

Having guests enjoy the rice we’ve grown with our own hands is the most rewarding moment of this job.

Once again this year, we are grateful for the harvest.