Akita Prefecture's new brand "Sakihokore" is newly equipped with a separate cooking course!Rice Producing Area x Panasonic's Initiative Background
Japanese rice boasts a wide variety of brands. Since 2013, Panasonic Corporation has installed a separate brand cooking course on rice cookers so that you can enjoy the deliciousness that varies from brand to brand to the maximum.
The number of brands of rice that can be cooked separately is increasing year by year, and as of November 2021, 66 brands are supported *. The characteristic of Panasonic's brand-separated rice is that not only is it possible to select from the brands of rice that are already in circulation for additional support, but there are also cases where the course is developed together with the production area from the development stage of the brand rice.
In particular, the members of Panasonic Cooking @ Lab, who are in charge of rice cooker program development, have a wide range of involvement in rice, such as serving as judges for rice contests and being involved in the development of brand rice. Therefore, it is possible to install a dedicated course at the same time as the debut of the new brand rice.
After such a relationship, the new brand in Akita Prefecture that made its debut is "Sakihokore".
Mr. Sato, who is in charge of rice cooker marketing at Panasonic, Mr. Tsukahara of Panasonic Cooking @ Lab rice cooking department, about the "Sakihokore course" that can be added by updating the main body in cooperation with the application according to the debut of "Sakihokore" We interviewed Mr. Kato of the Akita Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station and Mr. Kodama of JA Zenno Akita, who were in charge of the variety development of Sakihokore.
I want you to enjoy the deliciousness that differs depending on the brand by cooking separately.
--Please tell us about the features of the rice cooker equipped with the "Sakihokore Course".
Sato: With the rice cooker released in June 2021, the feature is that rice that has just been milled or that has been dried for a long time can be cooked deliciously by checking the condition.
We have also added a function to link with the "Kitchen Pocket" app that can be linked with our IoT-compatible cooking appliances. By linking the app, not the end of buying the product, you can update the product even after purchasing.
Tsukahara: The brand-separated cooking course is a function that has been installed since 2013. The reason for installing the brand-separated cooking course was the change in the rice industry that was occurring at that time. Until then, the rice industry had the image that it was not an exaggeration to say that it was one of the best Koshihikari rice for a long time, but from that time on, new brands of rice such as "Yumepirika" appeared. At the rice cooker development site, we aimed to cook any brand of rice into sticky and soft rice like Koshihikari, but with the advent of the new brand of rice, the taste that is different from Koshihikari has been accepted in the world. I felt like I was doing it.
In fact, rice has various personalities and tastes depending on the brand, and it has various tastes. If so, I thought it would be better to cook according to individuality so that each brand of rice could be eaten deliciously. The rice developers were also actively engaged in activities to get new brands of rice to be eaten, so we wanted to make efforts to enjoy various deliciousness.
I wanted to create a new face that would lead the production area as a source of rice in Japan.
――Please tell us about the development of "Sakihokore", which is newly installed in the brand cooking course.
Kato: Mating started in 2010, and the prefecture's business started full-scale testing in 2014. The selection of varieties will be gradually narrowed down. Sakihokore started from 800 lines, narrowed down to 5 lines in 2017 and 1 line in 2018, and applied for variety registration in 2020.
――What was the reason and background for developing a new brand of rice?
Kato: The two purposes were to improve the competitiveness of Akita rice and to develop varieties that can withstand the heat of summer. In recent years, while brand rice with excellent taste has come out from various regions, Akita Prefecture has been delayed in terms of "development of new varieties with excellent taste". As a prefecture, we started development with the desire to cultivate varieties that exceed Koshihikari and increase competitiveness. In addition, since the number of hot years in Akita has increased since the beginning of mating in 2010, it was an urgent task to produce varieties with excellent taste and good brown rice quality even at high temperatures.
――What was the difficult point in development?
Kato: It was very difficult to select a line with the best taste. Due to the increased number of matings, more taste tests had to be conducted. Therefore, instead of the 4-point method that compares 3 with one standard so far, we proceeded with the taste test by the 10-point method that compares 9 with one standard. Not only rice but also people on the eating side were selected by statistical processing to improve the reliability of the taste test.
It was also necessary to devise the development of strong varieties that can withstand the heat of summer, which is one of the purposes of developing new varieties. By deliberately pouring hot water to create a tropical night situation, we selected strains that would not easily deteriorate the quality of brown rice even in the hot summer.
――What kind of relationship did Panasonic have in developing “Sakihokore”?
Kato: Since there is a connection between breeders, I heard from the people involved about the precedent between Panasonic and the development of new brands. Therefore, I wanted to approach Panasonic from the beginning of development for "Sakihokore".
Sato: It was the first time that Mr. Akita provided a sample of 2019 production to the business division and marketing department. You were in a position to cook sample rice and convey your impressions.
Tsukahara: It was before the name "Sakihokore" was decided. I cooked it in the division and ate it with the members, but it was a very wonderful result and I was surprised at its deliciousness.
Producing area x Panasonic brand brand cooking course "Sakihokore course" development secret story
――Please tell us about the characteristics of "Sakihokore".
Kato: Rice that stands out for its whiteness and luster the moment you open the rice cooker. I think that you can enjoy the moderate stickiness and graininess when you eat it. It also features an elegant aroma and deep sweetness. It is a rice that is not only freshly cooked, but also has a more grainy and fragrant texture as it cools over time. Personally, I would like you to try hand-rolled sushi, which is not made into vinegared rice, as a way of eating that you can feel the difference over time. You can see the goodness of "Sakihokore" by the texture and texture.
Tsukahara: I think that rice is delicious for everyone, regardless of age or gender. The overall cohesiveness is good. The rice is big and looks delicious.
――The “Sakihokore Course” brings out the goodness of such “Sakihokore”, but how did you start this development and when did you start it? Also, what was the difficult point?
Sato: When I received a sample of "Sakihokore" under development and ate it in-house, I was excited to "know this deliciousness" and approached from our company. It was around the winter of 2020 that I started working on it about a year ago and started making full-scale courses. We have been in close contact with the people in the production area.
Tsukahara: When making a special course, I first tried cooking with the standard course, but "Sakihokore" was still delicious enough. From there, we listened to Mr. Akita's ideal cooking and continued to discuss it while discussing it. What was difficult was the influence of the Korona-ka. I couldn't talk while eating together, so I had to send a rice cooker to Mr. Akita and Mr. Zen-Noh and exchange remotely, "How about cooking in this course?" If you eat at the same place, you can understand the request such as "It is better to have a little more stickiness, it is better to have less stickiness", but if it is a remote exchange, you will share the ideal goal. It's difficult. Here as well, while assuming a goal, it is a flow that gradually created with Mr. Akita.
Kato: Again, I couldn't invite dozens of people to the farm test site and try it many times, so I took the rice cooker home and cooked it on various courses, and after solidifying my image to some extent, I tried it at the test site. .. In the taste test of the agricultural experimental station, we do not use a pressure cooker that makes it soft and sticky in order to make it easy to understand the difference in taste between varieties. I'm not used to cooking with pressure, so there was an opinion that "it has a taste and stickiness, but it's too soft." As a result of repeated corrections after that, the finished product was ideally cooked.
Tsukahara: You can cook softly when you apply pressure, so I expected that you would get such an indication to some extent. The ideal is to adjust the amount of water, but since it is not possible to put multiple water level lines in the pot of the rice cooker, it is difficult to achieve the ideal hardness of rice without changing the amount of water. was. It was a difficult point to make adjustments to keep the stickiness moderate while cooking with pressure.
This course was developed by not only Akita Prefecture but also Zen-Noh. I think the course has been completed so that you can enjoy the deliciousness of the cooked food, the graininess and stickiness that you can feel in your mouth, and the elegant sweetness.
――Please tell us your impressions of Sakihokore cooked in the “Sakihokore Course”.
Kodama: It's chewy but you can feel the graininess, and you can feel the sweetness and stickiness. It's a course that brings out the "excellent royal road".
Kato: Compared to the pressure-free rice cooker used by the paddy rice breeder, the softness, stickiness, graininess, and sweetness that are characteristic of the taste of "Sakihokore" are emphasized moderately. The moment you put it in your mouth, you can see the difference. It can be said that it is exclusively for "Sakihokore".
I want to liven up the new Akita rice "Sakihokore" together with the production area
――Please give us your thoughts, impressions, and messages about this initiative.
Sato: I am grateful to be able to work together on a new brand of rice developed by Akita Prefecture as a whole. Because it is a rice cooker that can be updated by linking with the application, we were able to install a new course at the timing of the release of "Sakihokore". I think we can make proposals that customers can enjoy by delivering them in a timely manner.
Tsukahara: The emergence of a new brand of rice has led to the excitement of the rice industry, and I am very pleased, and I am happy to be able to develop a special cooking course for the new brand of rice. "Sakihokore" is a delicious rice that goes well with anything, regardless of side dishes, so we want our customers to enjoy it in various ways.
Kato: I feel very reassured that consumers can eat the best "Sakihokore" by working together with producers, prefectures, and Panasonic. I also heard that this rice cooker can change the cooking method through the app according to the workmanship that changes depending on the year of production. We would like to continue our efforts to deliver more delicious "Sakihokore" to consumers while continuing to cooperate.
Kodama: In 2021, we limited the number of producers and planted 80 hectares. Almost all cutting is completed in early October, and preparation work is underway so that it can be delivered to consumers. All the producers are working to deliver the deliciousness of Akita rice, including the creation of new varieties by making full use of technology. When the rice is finally delivered to the consumer's table, it would be great if the feelings of these producers were also delivered. I think it will be encouraging for producers to continue working together.
--Please tell us about your future developments as Panasonic thinks.
Tsukahara: I think that rice is not made up of rice alone, but is delivered to customers, including the process of making rice. As Mr. Kodama said, we are responsible for the final stage of rice, "delivering to consumers." We would be grateful if you could cooperate in order to realize better delivery methods in the future.
Sato: In the marketing department, we would like to continue to make proposals that allow you to enjoy the unique taste of each brand. Rice is a delicious, fun and nutritious ingredient. I would like to continue efforts to give new awareness while disseminating such correct information.
Some customers may think that an app is for a rice cooker, but it is unique to the app that you can receive timely response without having to replace it with a new product. We will continue to expand the range of proposals so that we can meet the feelings and requests of our customers who want to eat delicious rice.
* Of the 66 brands, updating the main unit and app is required to add the "Sakihokore", "Fusaotome", and "Haruru" courses.
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[Characters in this story]
Panasonic Kitchen Space Division Cooking Equipment BU
Domestic Marketing Department Rice Cooker
Engaged in rice cooker marketing in Japan.
Panasonic Kitchen Space Division Cooking Equipment BU
Panasonic Cooking @Lab Rice Cooking Club Members
Engaged in programming development of rice cookers.
Akita Prefectural Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department Agricultural Experiment Station Crop Department Senior Researcher Paddy Rice Breeding
Responsible for the development of new Akita rice varieties "Sakihokore".
Zen-Noh Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives Akita Prefecture Headquarters Rice Department Counselor
Engaged in general production guidance for "Sakihokore" and rice produced in Akita Prefecture.
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● About rice cooker
Steam & variable pressure IH jar rice cooker SR-VSX1 series
https://panasonic.jp/suihan/products/vsx1.html
Separately cooked brands
https://panasonic.jp/suihan/21features/meigara.html
Kitchen pocket app cooperation
https://panasonic.jp/suihan/app.html
* From 11:00 on 11/5 (Friday), new brands (Sakihokore etc.) will be distributed from the kitchen pocket app.
● About Sakihokore
https://common3.pref.akita.lg.jp/akitamai/sakihokore/
* Sales start on Saturday, November 6
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