Luna Koshihikari California Organic Japanese Shinmai White Rice - 5lb

This is the newest and freshest Shinmai release from Luna Koshihikari, milled on December 3, 2024. It is prized and celebrated for being the first harvest of the new crop, which often falls around the new calendar year.  It is suggested to use a 1 to 0.9 ratio of rice to water because the Shinmai crop contains more moisture due to it's freshness.  Whoo!

This short-grain rice is known for being one of the hardest rice varieties to grow organically – its unique shape and growing time are unfavorable to most rice farmers. Luna Koshihikari Organic Rice is paving the way to be California's premium rice by not only committing to growing rice locally but also by growing pesticide-free, milling using water-saving and energy-saving techniques, and using solar power to support their operations. This very special bag of rice is guaranteed to elevate any dish and support local and organic farmers along the way! 

This single-origin premium Koshihikari rice is grown organically in the Sacramento Valley by a fourth-generation rice farmer. Koshihikari is widely known in Japan for its sweet flavor, pillow-soft texture, and translucent moonlight white grain. Professional chefs often favor this rice for its softness—it feels like you can taste each grain. Luna Koshihikari Shinmai Organic Rice is Sylvan's favorite rice at his restaurant.

Wendy Tsuji, creator of Luna Koshihikari milled by Far West Rice, says:

I was surprised when I found out that less than 3% of California rice in Sacramento Valley is organic. I have always liked horticulture and learning about specific cultivars in food. Though Koshihikari is difficult to grow, it intrigued me that where this variety originated, latitude 39 was originally from Japan, while the Sacramento Valley is similarly latitude 39. I wanted to see if a premium organic Koshihikari could be grown locally and compete with the taste profile of the best rice from Japan without paying for the extreme freight costs. 

The comparison in distance and energy consumption is that this local Luna rice comes from 171 miles away. Rice from Japan travels 5000 miles by comparison. Developing the Luna Koshihikari started as a “proof of concept” to see if I could bring to market a premium organic white rice as shinmai (new crop) for restaurants who would support the organic and sustainability concept, despite costing more, as our part against climate change. It was important to be organic, use less water with drill seeding, and have the best mill possible with 85% solar energy, and only have to travel from our “backyard” saving a lot of fuel. I wanted to take my experience in design and architectural sustainability and see if I could apply it to an agricultural product that could have some impact in the restaurant industry.

Grown with the environment in mind! USDA organic and fertilizer-free.