H Mart, Super H Mart & & Han Ah Reum

[Xochitl10]

Just last night, we picked up a bag of Shirakiku Hitomebore the H Mart in Annandale. House guests were fascinated, both by the market experience (GORGEOUS seafood) and by the rice. We tore into the bag immediately upon returning home.

We rinsed it sushi-rice style, and enjoyed the clean, pure flavor, with ideal texture. So flavorful by itself, we added only water to the fuzzy logic cooker. Another "never would have found it" treasured find from the DR crew. Thanks, Xochitl10.

You're welcome! I'm glad you found and like it. Our affection for hitomebore is almost certainly influenced by it being the variety most commonly grown in the area of Japan we lived in, and therefore the kind we ate most often, but it is legitimately delicious.

Incidentally, rinsing is standard practice for making rice in Japanese homes. It's not just reserved for making rice for sushi.

[KMango]

You're welcome! I'm glad you found and like it. Our affection for hitomebore is almost certainly influenced by it being the variety most commonly grown in the area of Japan we lived in, and therefore the kind we ate most often, but it is legitimately delicious.

Incidentally, rinsing is standard practice for making rice in Japanese homes. It's not just reserved for making rice for sushi.

Thanks again for the stellar rice find!

By "sushi-style", I meant we rinsed it until the water went completely clear, a long process. Is that what the Japanese do with every meal? I always rinse my rice, too, just not that long every time.

[goodeats]

By "sushi-style", I meant we rinsed it until the water went completely clear, a long process. Is that what the Japanese do with every meal? I always rinse my rice, too, just not that long every time.

It's what most Asians do with rice. It's an old tradition when rice grains weren't cleaned as well as they are now and debris gets into the rice sack--you want a clean bowl of rice, so you washed the grains before you cooked it, or now that I'm reading more on this topic, it's to rinse off the starches on the rice so it's less stickier. The other old tradition is that the women from the rice fields would take this water and use it as a facial cleanser. There is some talk on whether you should wash your rice anymore. (One version on how to wash rice properly.)

The definition of sushi is just really seasoned or vinegared rice. Typically, it's a solution of rice vinegar + sugar + water/dashi added to the rice after it has finished cooking. The traditional way is to cook the rice, dump it into the big wooden rice bin, then add the solution in a circular motion around the rice while fluffing it.

Xochiyl10 - I will report back. I have the hitomebore on timer in the neuro fuzzy logic cooker (yay for hi-tech rice cookers!). I realized the other type I bought was Akita Komachi rice -- have you tried this variety?

[wisehands]

By "sushi-style", I meant we rinsed it until the water went completely clear, a long process. Is that what the Japanese do with every meal? I always rinse my rice, too, just not that long every time.

I've seen several programs on Japanese network television featuring Japanese cooking experts giving advice on making sushi rice and they all emphasize that the washing and rinsing steps are absolutely critical to produce properly prepared sushi rice (or Japanese style rice in general). This involves not only thoroughly rinsing the rice, but also washing it. One part of the method is to swish the rice around with your hand while rinsing, not just running water over it. This is done several times. Then, with just a little water in the bowl, the grains are gently rubbed together several times with the palms of your hands as if polishing them . . . well, you are sort of polishing them. They say this removes starch. Then they rinse until the water is clear. But wait, there's more! Then they let the rice sit for a while, maybe 30 mins. All that is followed by another soak in the cooking pot. The actual cooking of the rice involves yet another protocol. And the preparing of sushi rice after cookng is yet another one. Every step, every technique has a purpose. e.g., using a particular wooden bowl called a hangiri in which to prepare the sushi rice is better than using any other kind of bowl because the untreated wood absorbs excess moisture from the rice and the shape of the bowl is ideal for proper stirring and mixing. The purposefulness of Japanese cooking techniques is fascinating.

[goldenticket]

Fresh mangosteens at Super H Mart a few weeks back were an unexpected treat. Much better than the frozen ones I've gotten at Grand Mart in the past. A trip back to Bali via my tastebuds.

[lperry]

The Super H in Fairfax has incredible pomegranates right now for $1.99, and the one I bought weighed in at a pound and three quarters.  Now I have to decide if I want juice or salad.

Editing to add that the sunchokes look gorgeous too.  Soup or gratin...

[weezy]

Sunchokes? Mmm...I'll have to get some of those! They've been off my radar for awhile

[lperry]

Sunchokes? Mmm...I'll have to get some of those! They've been off my radar for awhile

Mine too.  My Dad used to grow them, way back when, and we had fun digging them out of the garden in the fall.  Unfortunately, I remember digging them, but not eating them.  I should ask Mom what she cooked.

[weezy]

Chef Will at Pizzeria Orso did a sunchoke ricotta anglotti on a sage emulsion that was sublime

[astrid]

They have a fantastic crisp texture when raw, so they're nice in salads, slaws, and as refrigerator pickles.  Just don't have too much at once, they're a very *windy* vegetable.

[lperry]

They have a fantastic crisp texture when raw, so they're nice in salads, slaws, and as refrigerator pickles.  Just don't have too much at once, they're a very *windy* vegetable.

That's the inulin.  Various indigenous groups in the Plains worked out the issue with inulin-y plants by slowly roasting things.  I was going to give it a try, maybe with some fingerling potatoes.

[TheMatt]

FYI, in the Fairfax Super H-Mart a new food stall has opened: King Kong Mandoo. They sell both the small mandu as well as the big wang mandu (like baozi). Indeed, they are giving one away for free right now. And let me say, it was dang good and only $2 when not free!

They sell the regular mandu steamed or frozen and if the wang mandu was anything to go by, they'll be quite good!

[Escoffier]

Definitely have to agree with Matt.  The mandu (or mandoo if you prefer) was quite tasty.  The pork mandu had a nice small spicy afterbite that was most pleasant.

[LauraB]

In case this is of interest to anyone besides me, I just received a flyer in the mail from H Mart announcing that the new H Mart in Burke will open next Wednesday, Nov 9th.  I'm hoping they have a good produce section - I would really like to have a reliable source of Thai basil nearby, among many other things!