I order rice fresh-milled on the spot from The Rice Factory in Honolulu:
Mainly been eating Yumepirika from Hokkaido. It even does fine with sushi (using their Iio-Jozo sushizu).
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Great resource! That is some spendy grain right there but I might just have to give it a go.
They’re a great little shop - I like patronizing them and we always get a bag when we go to Hawaii. I actually haven’t tried shipping it yet so I have no experience with that, since I’m in Hawaii enough times a year that I don’t run out.
It also makes for a good Portuguese sausage (or Spam), eggs, and rice breakfast with a little soy on the eggs, furikake on the rice. With papaya and lime on the side (or highly recommend a chilled, overripe hachiya persimmon), and some good coffee and you feel like you’re basically ready to plan your day at the beach after you’re done with breakfast.
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Just checked. $20 shopping. That puts a 10lb bag at about $51 all in.
Gotta stick with the local stuff for now!
If I’m in Hawaii I know my luggage is going to be HEAVY on the way back to LA.
At Toyko Central for $29.98. They claim it’s ~$6 cheaper than at Mitsuwa.
They also have these bags. 11 lb bags.
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Currently on rotation, local supermarket was having a new year sale
I have to say, the rice from Japan seems to have a nicer texture and visual profile after cooking vs CA grown. Glossy, nice plump individual grains, rice type al-dente texture.
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Wow. Just. Wow.
I need to find some of that rice!
Comparison of rice stock currently on hand
L to R
Brown rice - Japan
Matsuri Koshihikari - CA
Echizenmai Koshihikari - Japan
Uonuma Koshihikari - Japan
The Japanese grown grains appear to be ~ 10-20% larger. The Uonuma on the far right has the most uniform polishing of the lot.
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hokkaido nanatsuboshi
tamaki gold koshihikari
tamaki gold koshihikari (left), hokkaido nanatsuboshi (right)
tamaki gold koshihikari
hokkaido nanatsuboshi
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Do you blend different strains when cooking?
I haven’t yet, I was just conducting a completely non-scientific, non-controlled, non-blind, side-by-side, back-to-back taste test… 24 hours apart.
To my untrained palate the nanatsuboshi was a bit more firm and less sticky than the koshihikari.
Fun fact: the nanatsuboshi is the rice of choice at sushi sho.
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Thanks for the hi-res pics, @PorkyBelly. We are always on the lookout for good, fresh rice. Where did you get the Nanatsuboshi?
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I got it freshly milled and polished at the rice factory in honolulu and smuggled it back in my carry-on.
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NY based online shopping site for the rice factory
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This reminds me of the time that I had some Japanese friends over and I made gumbo, they love my gumbo, but I went to the 99 cent store and got some rice. They were pissed. One of them left and went got some good rice. 
I was so ignorant I thought all rice was created the same.
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You can one-up them with some Carolina gold in your gumbo next time 
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i wonder if you can get it locally in LA. Maybe Surfas I know they carry some Anson Mills products
I had kind of the reverse experience.
My Japanese neighbors had told me about a new Japanese restaurant nearby (now gone.)
I went, it was great, but what blew me away was the rice. It was just SO good. So I had to talk to them about it afterwards and ask “Are there different types of rice?”
They were so happy (and stunned) that I had noticed - it gave me much cred : )
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Online - $7 a pound. Wow.
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an affordable luxury 
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