🍚 Shouga-meshi (Ginger Rice)

In sandy area with soft ground along the Kinokawa River (like Kasei and Nunohiki area in Wakayama City), ginger has been grown since early Era (early 20th century) to make most of its mild climate. Authentic open-field culture of ginger started in 1947, and greenhouse cultivation became common during the 4th decade of Showa Era (1965~1974). Therefore, the cultivation area of ginger has been getting bigger. Young ginger, planted in winter and harvested in summer, is mainly grown, and the area is one of famous place for producing ginger in Japan. The later it is harvested, the worsen its quality. That's why it is harvested with 180days from planted. To prevent the ginger from drying and fading the color, it is covered with plastic sheets immediately and delivered to a workshop for washing with water. These process makes young ginger look white. Young ginger is less spicy and contains more liquid compared with regular ginger, you can enjoy fresh texture. It is delivered on the day of harvest to markets in Keihanshin area (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe) and also to Tokyo and Nagoya. It has also a great reputation as a ‘gari' (pickled ginger used in sushi), it is used by famous chef, high-end Japanese restaurants and high-ranked sushi restaurants. ‘Shoga-meshi', cooked rice with young ginger, has fresh smell, which makes us hungry. You can add young ginger on the freshly cooked rice and steam a while, then mix before serve to enjoy refreshing flavor.