From hunger to luxury: The story behind the world’s most expensive rice

Japanese chef Kenichi Fujimoto samples a serving of Kinmemai Premium, the world's most expensive rice. Maggie Hiufu Wong/CNN via CNN Newsource

Holding an elegant black box embossed with the words “World’s Best Rice” in gold, Japanese chef Kenichi Fujimoto tilts his head and smiles — a flicker of skepticism on his face.

“These things are often very commercial and not necessarily good,” says the Hong Kong-based chef/owner of Sushi Fujimoto, gesturing at the pot of rice simmering in his kitchen.

With more than 20 years of experience working under Michelin-starred sushi masters, the chef has encountered countless varieties of rice. Nothing like this, though.

Not only do the makers of Kinmemai Premium claim that it’s the world’s best rice, but in 2016 Guinness World Records certified it as the most expensive.

Does it live up to the claim? CNN drafted in Fujimoto to help answer that question. The grains have been rinsed and soaked before they’re placed inside a cast-iron pot of water and heated.

It’s an important test for a Japanese chef. “Rice is Japan’s soul food,” says Fujimoto. “For sushi, rice is the most important part — 80% of good sushi comes from the rice and 20% from the fish,” he says.

The clock is now counting down to the moment of truth.

“We’ll know in 15 minutes.”

Only 1,000 boxes produced each year

Rice has been a sacred staple in Japan for around 3,000 years.

Today, there are more than 300 varieties commonly cultivated around the country, with new varieties constantly under development.

Dishes and beverages made with Japanese rice — sushi, mochi cakes and sake — have gained international fame in recent decades. Rice exports, however, have never achieved the same levels of success.

Enter Keiji Saika, the now 91-year-old president of Toyo Rice Corporation. In 2016, he decided to take promotion of the staple into his own hands.

Based in Wakayama, his company sells rice milling machines as well as Kinmemai, directly translated as “Golden Sprout Rice”, a variety prized for its nutritional value and taste.

“I felt that Japan needed to better appeal to the international community about how great Japanese rice is,” Saika tells CNN Travel in an interview at the company’s Tokyo office.

The challenge? Boost the global profile of Japanese rice without blowing the company’s marketing budget.

“That was when the idea of Guinness World Records came to me. We’d have to do something that’s never been done before,” he says.

Confident that he had produced the world’s most delicious rice, Saika introduced Kinmemai Premium to the market that same year, selling it for a whopping 9,496 Japanese yen for a box of 840 grams — or about US$109 per kilogram in 2016.

“At a time when typical rice cost only 300 yen to 400 yen per kilogram, I wondered if anyone would actually buy it. Surprisingly, enquiries started increasing,” he says.

What began as a one-off has since become an annual release, thanks to unrelenting demand. This year, boxes of Kinmemai Premium hit the market for 10,800 yen, or $73.4 apiece.

With only 1,000 produced, they sold out quickly after their August 22 launch.

Why doesn’t it make money?

As Toyo Rice prepares to mark the project’s 10th anniversary in 2026, Saika emphasizes that profiting from the expensive rice was never his plan.

“Honestly, when you calculate the costs, we’re probably running at a loss. Even though we sell it at a high price, it’s not profitable,” he says.

Instead, the initiative was meant to raise the profile of Japanese rice and encourage farmers to cultivate higher-quality strains. Saika calls it the “World’s Best Rice” project — one of many innovations driven by his determination to improve Japanese rice production.

In the 1970s he developed rinse-free rice to conserve water. Two decades ago, his company created a new milling machine that removes only nine layers of bran instead of the usual 16, preserving nutrients and flavors.

But to create Kinmemai Premium, the Guinness World Record version, the process is more complicated.

Each year, Saika selects four to six top-class, award-winning rice varieties from a pool of about 5,000 entries. The International Contest on Rice Taste Evaluation, hosted by the Syokumi Kanteisi — The Rice Taste Appraiser Association — is the largest of its kind in Japan.

Beyond flavor and texture, Saika tests the enzyme levels of each variety of rice.

“That vitality, that life force, can be clearly identified through enzyme activity. Rice with strong vitality like that becomes truly exceptional,” he says.

Only the grains with the highest vitality are chosen. Then comes aging.

“Letting the rice sit for a few months enhances the flavor even more. The taste becomes richer, and the health benefits seem to improve as well. So this rice is truly special,” Saika says.

The painstaking process, combined with limited supply, makes Kinmemai Premium costly to produce. The rice is often given as a luxury gift, used to mark special occasions or impress corporate clients.

Farmers chosen for the year’s “World’s Best Rice” project are flown to Tokyo for the grand reveal.

“Everyone seems to take great pride in it,” says Saika. “This was an unexpected effect, but rice producers work hard toward that goal every year. As when they do that, it gets featured prominently in the local newspapers with a note that it’s been ‘selected as an ingredient for the World’s Best Rice.’”

This year’s Kinmemai Premium features a blend of four rice varieties: there are two styles of Koshihikari Rice, from Gifu and Nagano prefectures, respectively, and two types of Yudai 21 Rice – also from Gifu and Nagano.

Driven by hunger

Saika’s devotion to rice is connected in his childhood. After World War II ended in 1945, Japan faced severe food shortages.

The country was depending on the fall harvest to ease the crisis, but Typhoon Makurazaki hit Kagoshima, the southwestern tip of Japan, before moving north, devastating farmlands.

“Many people died of starvation. Even judges — and those in important positions and the upper class,” Saika recalls.

His family survived by planting whatever seeds they could find and catching eels, catfish and birds. This experience instilled in him a profound appreciation for rice and a mission to produce better grains.

For him, Kinmemai Premium embodies that passion. But even he doesn’t have an unlimited supply.

“(I eat it) just once a year when they ask me to taste that year’s rice. Just a little bit,” he says.

Hiroshi Matsumoto, head chef at the company’s in-house sushi restaurant, says he became an instant fan after trying the rice for the first time.

“I remember it was so delicious that one bowl just wasn’t enough, and I found myself wanting a second one.” Still, he doesn’t serve it with sushi. “It’s best served warm, part of a set meal,” he says.

Independent taste tests

Back in Fujimoto’s kitchen the Kinmemai Premium — a gift from Toyo Rice — has been cooked and now sits steaming in the black, cast-iron pot.

Usually, the chef would perform several test runs with a new rice to figure out the best soaking times, water levels and cooking temperatures. But with only 420 grams of Kinmemai Premium to play with, he’s had to improvise.

Fujimoto rinsed the rice for a mere second and soaked it for 30 minutes — 30 minutes less than the recommended time — before adding it to the pot.

His initial assessment? “Nice, clear color. I like it.” His wife Ai’s take? “Whoa. Shiny.”

“Like a diamond,” adds Fujimoto. “You can see every grain standing out, which usually indicates good quality. The shape is beautiful, and the aroma is nicely balanced — not too strong.”

Tasting it, he gives his approval.

“The flavor is well-balanced. The texture is good. It has nice moisture. This rice will appeal to everyone.”

Is he tempted to buy the rice for his restaurant?

“No, no, no. It’s too expensive — we’d have to triple our prices,” he laughs.

Like Toyo’s in-house chef, he also believes the rice is better served plain, more suited to a kaiseki restaurant, an establishment serving traditional refined dishes. “I think this rice isn’t really suited for sushi. It might get mushy if mixed with vinegar,” he says.

Chef Nansen Lai owns several Hong Kong restaurants including Flower Drum and Lai’s Kitchen – the latter of which specializes in clay pot rice. He also sampled the Kinmemai Premium, comparing it with his house blend — a mix of Thai fragrant rice and Koshihikari, another high-quality grain, from Japan’s Niigata prefecture.

“It looks stickier and doesn’t have as strong a rice fragrance as Thai rice, which is a normal difference between Thai and Japanese rice,” he says.

He takes a bite.

“It’s delicious, with a much more complex taste and flavor than our house rice,” says Lai, before inviting his staff to try it.

“From a restaurateur’s perspective, we can’t afford rice like this. We also need a firmer rice, like Thai rice, that can stand up to stronger sauces. But this rice is so tasty you could eat it plain.”

Both Lai and Fujimoto agree that Toyo Rice’s project is a useful way to motivate producers.

“Rice farmers are struggling. With costs like machines and gas prices rising, rice prices haven’t really changed much for the last 30 or 40 years. Japanese farmers didn’t enjoy the benefit of the raised retail prices. If they can’t make a living, young people will not continue the family business,” says Fujimoto.

For a better future

At 91, Saika remains vigorous, still going to work every day.

“Today I’m wearing a suit, but usually I’m in work clothes, doing various tasks in the factory,” he says.

“There are quite a lot of elderly people who stay healthy. (Most) go to karaoke, play golf, or do exercises, but not many come to a company.”

The secret to his health? Rice, of course. His passion for the staple drives him to keep working.

“At this age, I care about the development of myself and the company, but my biggest concern is Japan’s future,” he says.

“I don’t know how many more years I’ll live, but during that time, I want to develop things that will be useful to society. I don’t have much time, so I’m busy every day.”

By Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN