Product of the Month: Limited-Edition PAC-MAN™ x ZOJIRUSHI Stainless Mugs (SM-SHE48PA)

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This month’s product of the month is here to bring you a blast from your gaming past.

Imagine the days of yesteryear: you’re at your favorite arcade or gathered around your in-home gaming console. Your avatar is on a mission to eat as many pellets and fruit as possible, all while outrunning multiple colorful ghosts after your game lives. Yes, you guessed it – we’re talking about PAC-MAN™.

Well, we’re here to introduce you to our newest collaboration that will allow you to take the iconic imagery from this staple game with you wherever you are. Meet our product of the month: PAC-MAN™ x ZOJIRUSHI Stainless Mug (SM-SHE48PA).

Did you know PAC-MAN™ is one of the most successful vintage video games of all time?

Since PAC-MAN™ has a voracious appetite, we like to think that he’s always thirsty too, and what better way to quench that thirst than drinking from a world-famous stainless bottle made by Zojirushi.

These vacuum insulated stainless mugs come in two fun designs, featuring the famous PAC-MAN™ characters – designed to bring a little whimsy and retro flair to everyday hydration. Want to learn more about this item? Let’s dive in!

Cherry accent on the back side

Two Styles

The black version of the PAC-MAN™ x ZOJIRUSHI vacuum insulated bottle features the four PAC-MAN™ ghosts and PAC-MAN™ himself, while the stainless version features PAC-MAN™ and a bright yellow push-button. Both of these travel mugs come in 16 oz. sizes and feature Zojirushi’s famous vacuum insulation technology to keep your beverages hot or cold for hours.

SlickSteel® Interior

We’ve electro-polished the interior of this stainless-steel bottle, resulting in a surface that resists corrosion, repels stains without the use of nonstick coating, and makes cleaning the ultra-smooth interior extra easy.

Superior Temperature Retention

Through our signature Zojirushi vacuum insulation technology, these bottles will be able to keep your beverages hot or cold for hours. The vacuum insulation between the two stainless steel layers also minimizes heat transfer to keep the exterior from getting hot and minimizes condensation if you’re carrying a cold drink.

Leak-Proof

The PAC-MAN™ branded stainless mugs feature a flip-open lid that stays open and away from your face when you drink. It’s 2-step lid release process also prevents excess condensation on the stopper from being flung off while the lid opens, and locks down the tight fitted lid when closed to avoid unwanted spillage with help of the safety lock on the side.

Thoughtful Design

These bottles are lightweight and compact for added portability and feature a 1-5/8″ (4cm) wide mouth opening that accommodates full-size cubes. This also makes the bottle easier to fill and easier to clean. The air vent on the mouthpiece also ensures that beverages flow out smoothly, without gushing or overflowing. And as always, all surfaces that come into contact with food or beverage are BPA-free.

Convenient

Taking care of your stainless-steel bottle will be a breeze (when used according to the manual), as the stopper disassembles for thorough cleaning. Remember, do not use bleach on this product, as it will cause the stainless steel to rust and the stopper and cover to experience premature wear. Instead, the vacuum insulated mugs and its parts should be hand washed with a soft sponge and a mild dishwashing liquid.

Are you a PAC-MAN™ fan? Do you have any special memories of the PAC-MAN™ arcade game that come to mind when you see these branded bottles with the PAC-MAN™ characters? Be sure to share your experience with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

You Love Your Rice Cooker. Now, Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Rice.

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Zojirushi has been making rice cookers for nearly 40 years, so we like to consider ourselves experts in the field. Therefore, we test our products with the most modern technology to ensure that our appliances can make the best quality cooked rice every single time. For example, our new Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18 is equipped with a special umami setting that features technology that soaks and steams your rice for longer, which results in an enhanced rice flavor. This is in addition to our signature Fuzzy logic technology, which can cook a variety of different grains to perfection. 

But, did you know that rice is the most important human food crop in the world, feeding more than half of the world’s population? In Japan, rice symbolizes blessing and joy and is a staple for every meal in every household. Not only are rice crops a staple in Asian countries, but the gluten-free grain is essential in cuisines from Africa to Latin America. Today, in honor of our love of rice, we will be exploring the history of rice, where rice comes from, and other ways that the rice plant contributes to human culture worldwide.

What is Rice?

In simple terms, rice is an edible starchy cereal grain produced from a grass plant. Specifically, the grass species or rice plant that rice comes from is called Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). There are many other rice species within these classifications, such as Japonica, Indica, Aromatic, and Glutinous. Overall, it is estimated that there are up to 40,000 different types of Oryza sativa all over the world. 

 

Where Did Rice Originate From?

The oldest rice species is thought to have originated about 14 million years ago in what is now the Philippines. Over time, this species became cultivated by humans, and the rice plant evolved to produce rice grains that were more palatable to the human taste. Asian rice was first domesticated in China between 8,200 and 13,500 years ago and then spread to other parts of the world. 

Where is Rice Grown?

 

Because rice is a resilient plant that can grow in various wet or dry climates and withstand extreme weather conditions, it can essentially be grown anywhere in the world (except for Antarctica). There are more than 144 million rice farms worldwide, ranging from Asia, West Africa, the Middle East, and South America. The Oryza sativa can be grown worldwide, while the Oryza glaberrima is grown in West Africa. In 2017, China produced the most paddy rice in the world, clocking in at 210.3 million metric tons. India had the largest harvest area of rice in the 2017-2018 season, coming in at 43.78 million hectares of farmland. 

 

Global Rice Consumption

 

Rice is most widely consumed in Asia, providing up to 50% of the dietary caloric supply for millions in the region. However, we are seeing other countries in Latin America and Africa adopting rice as an increasingly important part of their diets as well. According to recent studies, rice consumption around the world is expected to grow steadily at 1.1% per year until 2025. Thanks to rice, we are able to fill hungry stomachs around the world and even use every part of the rice plant to build houses, make clothing, or even make rice-based beauty products. At Zojirushi, rice is a way of life, which we celebrate daily in our commitment to making the best rice cooking appliances.

 

Did you learn something new about rice today? What is your favorite type of rice, and how do you like to prepare it? Let us know if you have any more rice trivia by tagging Zojirushi on your photos with #zojirushi on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

 

 

 

Cozy Wintertime Meals Made with the Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18

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Happy New Year! We are so excited to cook our favorite wintertime meals this January as we cozy up to the colder weather. With Zojirushi’s versatile new Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18, we’re able to make so much more than white rice with just a single appliance, from soup, congee, and more. The exclusive Umami setting on this Zojirushi rice cooker is also great for cooking a variety of rice grains as well, as it extends soaking and steaming to make your rice fluffier, sweeter, and more delicious. Today, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite rice based dishes we’ll be preparing in January with the help of our Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18.

 

Zojirushi’s Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18Before we dive into the recipes, let’s get to know our rice cooker a little better. The Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18 is an elegant appliance that comes in a stylish Metallic Black color, with two sizes available to accommodate various household sizes: 5.5 and 10 cups. What makes this rice cooker unique is its advanced micro computerized fuzzy logic technology that allows it to offer a long list of menu settings including Zojirushi’s special Umami setting, that will help you whip up a variety of tasty dishes.

 

Menu settings include:

  • White
  • Umami
  • Mixed
  • sushi/sweet
  • Jasmine
  • Porridge
  • Congee
  • Brown
  • GABA brown
  • Quick white
  • Quick Jasmine
  • Steam
  • Slow cook

 

It features an easy-to-read LCD control panel, clock and delay timer, nonstick coated inner cooking pan, and all food contact surfaces are BPA free. The inner lid is detachable for easy cleaning, and the rice cooker also comes with additional accessories such as a steaming basket, rice spatula, and measuring cup. To see this rice cooker in action, visit our product video here.

Now that we’ve been properly introduced to our Umami® Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-GAC10/18, let’s dive into our dishes!

Rice Dishes:

Jambalaya

We love Jambalaya because it combines many great flavors into one delicious bowl. This hearty meal features shrimp, sausage, and a hint of chili flakes that will warm you right up.

 

Shiitake-Gohan

This classic Japanese rice dish is simple to make using the convenient mixed setting for an easy meal that will keep you satisfied with its umami-rich flavor from the shiitake mushrooms.

 

Soups:

Vegetable Brown Rice Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup)

Zosui is traditional Japanese comfort food that combines rice, chicken broth, and seasonal vegetables. This simple yet satisfying soup can be made from scratch or from leftover nabe base if you have it. Perfect for lunch or dinner on a cold day!

 

Keihan (Japanese Chicken Soup with Rice)

Keihan is another traditional Japanese dish that hails from the southern islands of Japan. This dish features shiitake mushrooms, chicken breasts, and egg crepes. Yum!

 

Casseroles:

Baked Rice Casserole with Artichokes and Mushrooms

Our baked rice casserole dish is excellent for mushroom lovers and is a gluten-free alternative to other traditional casseroles. Combine all ingredients into a casserole or ceramic bowl and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

 

Japanese Style Curry Doria

This Japanese-inspired doria is a wonderful way to make use of leftover curry and rice and turn them into the ultimate comfort meal. This dish comes sizzling out of the oven ready to eat, featuring mozzarella cheese, parsley, and butter.  

 

What are your favorite dishes to enjoy in the wintertime? Do you have any favorite recipes that you plan to try from this blog? Be sure to share your experience with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan 

Local Kine New Year

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I’ve lived in California now for over 40 years, which I guess means I’m more from California than I am from Hawaii or Japan. But because those other places represent major milestones in my life, I’ll never forget their effect on who I am today. Hawaii is where I grew up as a kid, and went to college later on. And even though I haven’t been back in a while, that’s one place I know never changes. I mean, it's an island, man.

Every major holiday had a designated family that would host all my relatives for a potluck dinner—and New Year’s was at my aunt’s in Honolulu. My cousin has taken over that duty since then, and she still makes her specialty, Chicken Hekka. What the heck is Chicken Hekka, you might ask? It’s Hawaiian style sukiyaki; slightly sweeter, a little lighter broth, chicken rather than beef, but otherwise similar ingredients.

Our version had Japanese aburaage (fried tofu skin) and long rice (bean thread noodles), cut into short strands for easier eating and less splashing when people are fishing them out of the pot.

The fast cooking greens go last.

My Chicken Hekka. And before you say, “Why would you want to eat a hot pot in Hawaii?” Don’t forget, when you live there and the temperature drops to the 60s at nighttime (gasp!), it feels COLD if you’re always being tropical.

How much do you know about KIng’s Hawaiian Bread®, that soft, buttery, sweet and poofy bread in the bright orange packaging you see at the market? When the original bakery and coffee shop was located on King Street in Honolulu, it was known as a place to sit down and enjoy the food and pastries. The founder is originally from the Big Island, where he started the business in the 50’s, and today you can get their famous bread almost anywhere.

Hawaiian Bread is basically Portuguese sweet bread, which you can bake in a breadmaker. Look up a recipe for that and it’ll come close, even though you may not be able to replicate that signature texture. Mine still came out softer than regular white bread though, and the sweet bread taste was spot on. I was also very happy to say it rose higher than any loaf I’ve ever baked.

I used a popular Portuguese sweet bread recipe from allrecipes.com for a 1.5 lbs. breadmaker. I reduced everything by a two-thirds for my 1 lb. breadmaker and it turned out fine. Forget other “Hawaiian” bread recipes that call for pineapple juice. This one is the real deal.

Serve with butter while still warm. We always had one of those big round loaves at my auntie’s house on New Year’s (so we could eat it with canned Vienna Sausage believe it or not). Mystery meat indeed!

Since the breadmaker was already out when I made my bread, I used it to make Butter Mochi too. All you need is mochiko, the sweet rice flour sold at most Asian markets. I added chocolate to mine and the rest was up to the breadmaker—pretty easy. Zojirushi has a recipe here.

Unlike wheat flour, rice flour is gluten-free—even mochiko, which is processed by milling a glutinous variety of short grain rice into fine powder. The sticky, chewy texture comes from the type of grain used, which replicates that snappy stretch of gluten. I’m not on a gluten-free diet, but for those that are, this is good to know. Here’s my Chocolate Butter Mochi.

So Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! to you and your family this year. Thanks for reading!

By the way, if you’re wondering what that dish is at the top of this post, that’s my wife’s excellent Chicken Long Rice, another Hawaiian favorite!

 

 

Products used in this post: Gourmet d’Expert® Electric Skillet EP-RAC50, Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker BB-SSC10

Portuguese Sweet Bread by allrecipes.com

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.

All images by Bert Tanimoto ©2021

 

 

Celebrate the Holidays with Japanese Flavor

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Are you excited for the holidays? In addition to going all out with festive decorations, Japanese people love to celebrate this time of year with popular American foods seasoned with a Japanese twist. For those who want to add a twist to their holiday dinner, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite Japanese and American holiday recipes that are guaranteed to delight and impress – all of which can be made easily with the help of the new Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-DCC10/18.

Introducing The Rice Cooker That Does It All

The newest addition to our rice cooker lineup is the Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-DCC10/18. It comes in 5.5 or 10 cup capacities and in a beautiful Pearl Beige color. What’s unique about this appliance is that it is built with advanced micro computerized Fuzzy Logic technology, meaning that the rice cooker can automatically adjust cooking temperatures and cooking time to cook your rice (or cake!) perfectly every time.

It also includes a wide variety of settings which include: White, Long Grain White, Sushi, Congee, Brown, GABA Brown, Jasmine, Steel Cut Oatmeal, Quinoa, Quick White, and Cake.

Choose from convenient features like automatic keep warm, extended keep warm, reheat, and delay timer functions on the rice cooker’s easy-to-read LCD control panel, so you can cook your dishes whenever you please.

In addition, the appliance comes with an easy-to-clean detachable and washable inner lid, detachable power cord, and extra-large steam vent cap for high-powered cooking. The Menu

Now that we’re thoroughly acquainted with the Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer NL-DCC10/18, let’s get to cooking!

First Bite

If you’re hosting a holiday get-together, it’s important to make a great first impression. Not only are these dishes visually attractive, but they’re also easily shareable and super tasty.

 

 

  • Gomoku Sushi: This is a beautifully garnished rice bowl that features seasonal vegetables and seafood on top of sushi rice. Because it can be prepared in advance, it’s the perfect appetizer for events or large gatherings.

 

  • Prosciutto Rice Balls: These bite-size rice balls combine Japanese culinary techniques with Italian style. The prosciutto pairs perfectly with the rice, and the basil adds a fresh zing. Pro rice tip: Always rinse the rice before cooking, even brown rice. Milling leaves a lot of starch on the surface of the rice, and if not removed the rice becomes gummy. We recommend to rinse it 3 to 4 times to remove the excess starch. Remember to work quickly to prevent the rice from absorbing starchy water as much as possible. Watch this video to learn more.

Main Course:

Did you know that Christmas Eve and Christmas are widely celebrated with a bucket of KFC fried chicken in Japan? Because turkey is not readily available in the country, this craze has endured throughout the holidays for decades. Here are two dishes that you can make to celebrate just like the Japanese, with chicken as a star ingredient.

 

 

  • Karaage is Japanese-style fried chicken that is fried to crispy deliciousness in small, bite-sized pieces served with rice. It is sure to be a favorite during the holidays.

 

  • Curry Doria is a mix between a casserole and Japanese curry. Add generous amounts of mozzarella, and add your protein of choice to your liking (in this case, chicken!). Pro rice tip: Remember to use your measuring cup to measure out your rice and use the water measuring lines on the pan to measure the water. We cook and test tons and tons of rice every year, so our rice cookers can cook the best-tasting rice for you consistently. It’s scientific. It’s precise. Trust us, and use the rice measuring cup in conjunction with the water measure lines. It will yield a perfect result. Every. Single. Time.

A Sweet Ending

One of the biggest highlights of a Japanese Christmas is the decorative cakes that look like works of art — they are almost too pretty to eat! In Japan, people especially love enjoying strawberry shortcake on this holiday. Below are fruit-forward cake options that you can make straight out of your rice cooker.

 

  • Layered Trifle Tower: This fluffy sponge cake is layered beautifully with marsala sherry, raspberry jam, custard, and fruit. Serve in a clear vessel to show off the beautiful interior.

 

  • Whole Wheat Sponge Cake: This whole wheat cake only requires seven ingredients (plus the fruit) and is easily baked at the touch of a button. Top with whipped cream, enjoy, repeat.

 

 

How are you going to spend the holidays this year? Are you planning on trying any of these recipes or tips we shared today? Be sure to share your experience with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan