American-grown rice may be so good that Japanese consumers will become big fans.
A news release on behalf of Sun Valley Rice, based in the Sacramento region, explains:
Sacramento-Grown Calrose Medium Grain Rice Debuts in Costco Stores in Japan - for the First Time Ever
Costco stores in Japan have just completed a first-of-a-kind tasting test of one of America’s favorite’s – white Calrose rice.
The successful testing brings the product one major step closer to being sold alongside other popular American products at Costco and other retail stores throughout Japan.
In-store food tastings were conducted this September at 20 of the 26 Costco outlets in Japan featuring Calrose medium grain white rice milled and packaged by Sun Valley Rice, a Sacramento, CA based rice mill.
The goal of the Costco tastings was to determine how responsive Japanese customers would be to the American-grown rice.
The 5.0-kilogram bag of LaGrande Family Calrose rice is the first rice product grown, milled and packaged in the United States for direct retail sale in Japan. The high-quality milling facility at Sun Valley Rice meets Japan’s retail specifications, allowing them to by-pass a second processor in Japan, thus passing on the savings to Costco consumers.
The LaGrande Family has been farming in California since the 1850’s and has been farming rice for the past 100 years in the fertile Sacramento Valley, one of the few regions in the world able to grow both short and medium-grain rice.
“We understand the role that small, local family farms play in feeding the world — since we come from one,” says Ken LaGrande, President and CEO. “The feedback indicates that consumers and restaurant owners are impressed by the quality, flavor, and texture of our rice.”
Reports from Costco indicate that sales of LaGrande Family Calrose are 2-3 times better than the Calrose rice from a prior supplier.
“We are looking to see the market grow and expand into other retail markets as Calrose rice gains more popularity with Japanese consumers,” LaGrande said.