Holding an elegant black box with the words “World’s Best Rice” embossed in gold, Japanese chef Kenichi Fujimoto tilts his head and smiles, a slightly skeptical look on his face.
“These things are often very commercial and not necessarily good,” says the chef and owner of Hong Kong-based Sushi Fujimoto, pointing to a pot of rice simmering in his kitchen.
With more than 20 years of experience working under a Michelin-starred sushi chef, the chef has encountered countless types of rice. But nothing like this.
The makers of Kinmemai Premium not only claim that it is the best rice in the world, but in 2016 it was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most expensive rice.
Does it live up to the claims? CNN drafted Fujimoto to answer that question. After the grains have been rinsed and soaked, they are placed in a cast iron pot filled with water and heated.
This is an important exam for Japanese cuisine chefs. “Rice is Japan’s soul food,” says Fujimoto. “For sushi, rice is the most important part. 80% of delicious sushi is made from rice and 20% from fish,” he says.
The clock is now counting down to the moment of truth.
“We’ll find out in 15 minutes.”
Rice has been a sacred staple food in Japan for approximately 3,000 years.
Currently, more than 300 varieties are commonly grown throughout the country, and new varieties are being developed all the time.
Japanese rice dishes and drinks, such as sushi, mochi, and sake, have gained international fame in recent decades. However, rice exports have never had the same level of success.
The current 91-year-old president of Toyo Rice Co., Ltd., Keiji Saiga, will appear. In 2016, he decided to take the promotion of this classic product into his own hands.
In addition to rice milling machines, his Wakayama-based company sells Kinmemai (literally translated as “Golden Memai”), a variety highly praised for its nutritional value and taste.
“I felt that Japan needed to do more to show the international community how great Japanese rice is,” Saiga told CNN Travel in an interview at the company’s Tokyo office.
What is the challenge? Increase the global profile of Japanese rice without depleting your company’s marketing budget.
“That’s when the idea of a Guinness World Record came to me. I would have to do something that had never been done before,” he says.
Confident that he had created the world’s most delicious rice, Mr. Saiga introduced Kinmemai Premium to the market in the same year, selling it for a whopping 9,496 yen per 840-gram box, or approximately $109 per kilogram in 2016.
“At a time when regular rice cost 300 to 400 yen per kilogram, I wondered if anyone would really buy it, but the number of inquiries has surprisingly increased,” he says.
What started out as a one-off release has since become an annual release thanks to constant demand. This year, boxes of Kinmemai Premium hit the market for 10,800 yen, or $73.4 each.
Only 1,000 pieces were produced, and they sold out immediately after their release on August 22nd.
Toyo Rice is preparing to celebrate the project’s 10th anniversary in 2026, but Saiga insists that he never planned to profit from the expensive rice.
“Honestly, if you calculate the cost, you’ll probably be in the red. Even if you sell it at a high price, you won’t make any money,” he says.
Instead, the initiative aimed to raise the profile of Japanese rice and encourage farmers to grow high-quality rice. Saiga calls this the “World’s Best Rice” project. This was one of many innovations driven by his determination to improve rice production in Japan.
In the 1970s, they developed wash-free rice to save water. Twenty years ago, his company developed a new flour mill that removes only nine layers of bran instead of the usual 16, preserving nutrients and flavor.
But creating the Guinness World Records version, Kinmemai Premium, is a more complicated process.
Every year, Ayaka selects 4 to 6 award-winning top-class rice varieties from around 5,000 applications. The International Rice Taste Evaluation Contest sponsored by the Taste Appraisal Association is Japan’s largest rice taste evaluation contest.
At Ayaka, we test not only the flavor and texture but also the enzyme levels of each variety of rice.
“Its vitality and vitality can be clearly seen through the action of enzymes. Rice with such strong vitality is truly special,” he says.
Only the most vital grains are selected. Next comes aging.
“The taste gets even better if you let it sit for a few months.The flavor becomes more intense and the health benefits are said to increase as well.It’s a really special rice,” says Saiga.
Due to the laborious process and limited supply, the production cost of Kinmemai Premium is high. Rice is often given as a luxury gift to commemorate a special occasion or to impress a corporate client.
The farmers selected for that year’s “World’s Best Rice” project will fly to Tokyo for the grand presentation.
“Everyone seems to be very proud of it,” Saika says. “This was an unexpected effect, but rice producers work hard to achieve this goal every year. Each time, they get a big story in the local newspaper saying that their rice has been chosen as the world’s best rice ingredient.”
This year’s Kinmemai Premium is a blend of four varieties: two types of Koshihikari rice from Gifu and Nagano prefectures, and two types of Yuudai 21 rice from Gifu and Nagano prefectures.
Ayaka’s passion for rice goes back to her childhood. After World War II ended in 1945, Japan faced severe food shortages.
The country relied on autumn harvests to ease the crisis, but Typhoon Makurazaki hit Kagoshima in Japan’s southwestern tip and then moved north, devastating farmland.
“Many people starved to death, including judges, people in important positions, and members of the upper class,” Saika recalls.
His family survived by planting every seed they could find and catching eels, catfish, and birds. This experience instilled in him a deep appreciation for rice and a sense of mission to produce better grain.
For him, Kinmemai Premium embodies that passion. But even he doesn’t have an infinite supply.
“(I only eat it) once a year, when I’m asked to taste that year’s rice. Just a little bit,” he says.
Hiroshi Matsumoto, head chef at the company’s sushi restaurant, says he became a fan as soon as he tried this rice for the first time.
“I remember it was so delicious that I couldn’t get enough of one bowl and wanted two.” Still, he doesn’t serve it with sushi. “It’s best served warm and as part of a set meal,” he says.
Back in Fujimoto’s kitchen, Kinmemai Premium, a gift from Toyo Rice, is cooked and steaming in a black cast iron pot.
Chefs typically do several tests with new rice to find the optimal soaking time, amount of water, and cooking temperature. But Kinmemai Premium only weighs 420 grams, so we had to improvise.
Fujimoto washed the rice for just a few seconds and soaked it for 30 minutes, 30 minutes less than the recommended time, before adding it to the pot.
What was his initial assessment? “It’s a beautiful color and I really like it.” What does my wife Ai think? “Oh, shiny.”
“It’s like a diamond,” Fujimoto added. “You can see that each grain stands out, which shows that the quality is good.The shape is beautiful, and the aroma is well-balanced without being too strong.”
Having tasted it, he gives consent.
“This rice has a well-balanced taste, good texture, and is moist, making it a rice that everyone will enjoy.”
Is he tempted to buy rice for his restaurant?
“No, no, no. It’s too expensive. We have to triple the price,” he laughed.
Like TOYO’s in-house chef, he also believes that rice is better served as white rice and is more appropriate for kaiseki restaurants that serve traditional, sophisticated cuisine. “I don’t think this rice is very good for sushi. If you mix it with vinegar, it might get mushy,” he says.
Chef Nansen Lai owns several restaurants in Hong Kong, including Flower Drum and Rise Kitchen. Rise Kitchen specializes in clay pot rice. He also sampled Kinmemai Premium and compared it to his own blend of fragrant rice from Thailand and Koshihikari from Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
“It looks more sticky than Thai rice, and the rice aroma is not as strong. This is the usual difference between Thai rice and Japanese rice,” he says.
He takes a bite.
“It has a much more complex taste and flavor than home-grown rice, and it’s delicious,” says Lai, who invites her staff to sample it.
“From a restaurateur’s point of view, you can’t afford this kind of rice. You also need a firm rice like Thai rice that can withstand heavy sauces. But this rice is delicious enough to be eaten on its own.”
Both Yori and Fujimoto agree that the Toyo Rice project is an effective means of motivating producers.
“Rice farmers are in a difficult situation. The price of rice has not changed much in the last 30 to 40 years because of rising costs such as the price of machinery and gas. Japanese farmers have not been able to benefit from the increase in retail prices. Without being able to earn a living, young people cannot take over the family business,” Fujimoto said.
Ayaka is still in good health at the age of 91 and still goes to work every day.
“Today I’m wearing a suit, but I usually wear work clothes and do various tasks in the factory,” he says.
“There are quite a lot of healthy elderly people. (Most) go to karaoke, play golf, and exercise, but very few people come to work.”
What is the secret to his health? Of course rice too. His passion for classic products is what motivates him to continue his work.
“At this age, you are concerned about your own development and the development of your company, but your biggest concern is the future of Japan,” he says.
“I don’t know how many years I have left to live, but during that time I would like to develop something useful to society. I don’t have much time, so I’m busy every day.”
