hana-omoi

hana-omoi is the rice developed in Aomori pref and some sake breweries. It's said that they has struggled to develop this rice for 15years. They aimed to make the same quality as Yamada-nishiki which is said the best rice for making sake. I tasted it with a dish, simmered with Hakusai(Chinese cabbage), Tougan(Japanese(Chinese?) winter melon), tiny dried shrimps, Ganmodoki(a fried tofu dumpling vegetables), some Chinese soup stock cube and mirin. Tougan isn't sweet fruit like usual melon. People eat it as a vegetable.