Originally Posted by sorro
There are some specialty rice products (mochi, etc) that you can't get here in the States, but I consider the California rice you can get in a Costco just as good as the stuff you can get in Japan. In addition, it's a fraction of the cost. Japanese rice prices are kept artificially high to support rice farmers in Japan.
True enough. There are several "Japanese-style" rice varieties grown and sold in California. A small but significant amount is now actually exported to Japan and competes on price with domestically grown rice. The Governator has traveled to Japan to, in part, promote California rice. If you are careful and select the right varieties, you can get rice here that is just as good as what is available in Japan. I've got a bag of Nishiki in my cupboard right now.
JR