One of the distinctive characteristics of Japanese rice is that the texture changes depending on how it is prepared. A “Rice Meister” was on hand to introduce the best ways to prepare rice in a rice cooker or pot, as well as tips on how to adjust the amount of water and heat.

The Tohoku Economic Federation introduced the appealing qualities of the seven types of rice and the wide variety of side dishes and encouraged participants to visit the Tohoku region or Niigata Prefecture someday to enjoy some of the authentic local cuisine.

At the onigiri workshop, participants enjoyed making onigiri while listening to a lecture. There were also some endearing moments during the workshop, as some of the participants couldn’t resist the temptation to taste their handmade onigiri.

At the tasting area, a wide range of local ingredients from Tohoku were on display. It was particularly memorable seeing the children repeatedly coming back to try the seaweed, and the participants enthusiastically asking for recipes for dishes made with wakame seaweed.

At the cooking demonstration, a Panasonic microwave oven was used to make ginger miso salmon!