Japonica [ja·​pon·​i·​ca] is a medium grain rice originating from Japan that is extremely versatile and exhibits a sweet and complex flavor.

It is excellent for sushi and all Japanese and Korean dishes but is versatile enough for use in a risotto, stir fry, or any other rice dish, or even stand alone as a side! It tends to have a sticky, rather than flaky, texture.

For perfect results every time, we recommend the use of a rice cooker. Otherwise, excellent rice can be made on the stovetop with the following steps:

Blonde Rice 

1. Rinse 1 cup of our fresh Blonde Milled California Japonica Rice until water runs clear

2. Add rice to 1.5 cups of gently boiling water in a medium saucepan with a TIGHT lid

3. Simmer on LOW for 20 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID.

4. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Fluff it, butter it, season however you like and ENJOY, knowing you're eating the freshest, best tasting rice that good earth and hard work can provide.

For other ways to cook blonde rice, click here. 

Brown Rice

1. Rinse 1 cup of our fresh Brown Milled California Japonica Rice until water runs clear

2. Add rice to 2 cups of gently boiling water in a medium saucepan with a TIGHT lid

3. Simmer on LOW for 40 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID.

4. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Fluff it, butter it, season however you like and ENJOY, knowing you're eating the freshest, best tasting rice that good earth and hard work can provide.

For other ways to cook brown rice, click here.

The Goldilocks of Rice: A Happy and Healthy Medium

For those who prefer the taste and texture of white rice but avoid it in favor of more nutrient-rich brown rice, haiga mai style rice is the best of both worlds!

Our Blonde Milled California Japonica is semi-polished in the haiga mai style in which only some of the outer bran layer is removed, retaining the nutritious and oil-rich germ prized by health-conscious fans of brown rice.

The result is an easily digestible, quickly-cooking grain with the subtle, delicate flavor and smooth texture of white rice and much of the vitamins, minerals, and oils of unpolished brown rice.

We know that the “organic” label is looked upon highly in the food industry, but for us at Chico Rice there were several reasons that went into the decision to discontinue the organic certification. The biggest one being that we found the approved organic practices were using significantly more of California’s precious water resources to produce a lower quality rice. 

Even though we no longer have the label of “Organic,” we’ll continue to use the best regenerative practices to enhance soil health and benefit the myriad species of wildlife that make our farm home, while also ensuring we are as water efficient as possible. 

If you were to step foot on our farm you would see an abundance of wildlife all around you.

According to California Rice, "California rice fields provide habitat and nourishment for approximately seven million ducks and geese migrating along the Pacific Flyway each year. Ricelands are increasingly crucial to hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that nest in the fields year round. For example, recent studies have shown that California ricelands currently provide more than half of the nutritional requirements of wintering waterfowl in the Sacramento Valley.

This is especially important today, given that 95 percent of California's historical wetlands in the Central Valley are now gone."

It's because of this that we've done all we can to keep our family farm as natural as possible allowing the local wildlife to exist naturally and peacefully.

Being a Family Farm embodies a blend of tradition, community, and agricultural livelihood. Members of our family work side-by-side, forging a bond strengthened by sweat and soil. Farm life seamlessly intertwines our day-to-day life and agriculture life; our kids are active members of 4-H and FFA, where they learn about caring for the land for future generations of their own family. Our kids know, should they choose, that there is always a place for them to carry on the farming tradition!

We recommend you store our rice in a cool dark place, like your pantry, for the longest shelf life. To fully enjoy the flavors of our freshly milled rice, we recommend consuming it within 2 months. However, left unopened our rice has a 12 month shelf life. For longer storage, you can refrigerate or freeze it in a freezer safe bag.

Click here to see a list of retail stores where you can find Chico Rice on the shelf.

You can also order it online right here on our website, with free shipping over $30 and fast delivery. No matter where you are in the country!