Please note I only have info for Europe and North America I'm afraid. I'm not familiar with what's available in Australia/New Zealand for example. Maybe you can share that info in the comments! Some notes to start While it is possible to substitute other types of rice for Japanese rice (see: Looking at rice) sometimes a Japanese dish just isn't right unless you use Japanese-type or japonica rice. Whenever I write about Japanese rice, I always get asked about the best brands to get, whether rice grown in Japan is worth the extra cost, and so on. Here's what I recommend, depending on where you live. If you want to buy Japanese rice and experience all the iconic Japanese rice dishes, our range of sushi rice provides the perfect solution.

I've tried most of the Spanish or Italian grown japonica rice types, and my favorite is a brand called Yume-Nishiki. It's Koshihikari type rice grown in northern Italy, and is distributed by JFC. Yume-Nishiki is now the standard rice we get. Any rice, whatever the quality, must be cooked properly. See my very detailed instructions for how to prep and cook Japanese-style rice here. Japonica rice in the UK/Europe In years past, the only choices we had for japonica rice in Europe were imported, either from Japan or from the U.S. Happily this situation has changed in the past few years. There are now japonica type rice grown in Spain and Italy, under the supervision of Japanese food companies - mainly by Japan Food Corporation International (JFC), a major food import/exporter and distributor. Jasmine rice is the delicious rice you’ll usually find accompanying many Thai curries. It is also especially popular when combined with coconut and mango for a delicate dessert. It tastes just as good as most Japan-grown rice brands. Even my mother approves of it, and declared that she doesn't feel the need to ship rice to me anymore. (OK that's my loss ... Not sure how you want to enjoy your rice? Take a look at our range of Asian-inspired recipes to discover all the fantastic, diverse ways to cook and eat rice!