is japanese short grain rice similer to american rice?

Question

can i use american rice instead to make rice balls?

Answer 1

They are very different types of rice. Japanese short-grain rice is very soft when cooked whilst the American varieties are harder and very unpalatable.
Most Asians refuse to buy or eat American-grown rice because of its taste and quality, even when it is the only rice available.
Cambodian (Republican) soldiers during the Lon Nol period (1970-75) refused to eat the American rice given to the soldiers and usually sold it on the black market for better locally grown varieties.

Answer 2

No. Japanese short grain rice is sweeter, stickier and more glutinous. American rice (if there is such a thing) is less glutinous, making the grains less sticky (an essential component to making rice balls. There are ingredients such as unsweetened pectin which you can add to the rice to make the grains stick; however, American rice is less flavorful which is the main reason it is not preferred to make Japanese cuisine.

Answer 3

Short grain and long grain rice are both produced in the US. The US is the second largest producer of rice in the world.

The Japanese rice you speak of is short grained. It is quite different from long grain, which you speak of as American. That's a good generalization but, of course, too simplified to be accurate. For rice balls, you want short grain. Both texture and flavor will be different with long grain.

Answer 4

What do you mean by "American" rice? There is no such distinction. Do you mean long grain rice?

If so, no, "Japanese" rice, (of which there is also no distinction), is not the same. I assume you mean short grain rice for "Japanese" rice.

Short grain rices are stickier than long grain. I would go with short grain for rice balls. Long grain rices are best for rice pilafs.

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Answer 5

If you are trying to make rice balls i would reccomend you use japanese rice, it has a higher stach content, which is what makes it stick to itself, and keep its shape!

Answer 6

no. the japanese rice, (pearl rice) is more like rissotto, the italian rice. is very starchy and sticky, so they can eat it with chopsoticks.

Answer 7

American rice doesn't have as much starch, it won't stick together