Rice

I could go on at length about the importance of rice to the Japanese diet and culture, about its history, the customs surrounding it, and the many different types available in Japan. But instead, I will simply say that nearly every Japanese home-style meal includes a bowl of rice. In the West, the rice you want is usually labeled Japanese or short grain. Never buy sweet rice, sometimes called glutinous rice, which is used mainly for mochi (rice cakes) and various other confections, or converted white rice, which lacks the proper texture.