Nukegake – Layer Steaming of Rice

The water, the air and the wind are different. For a while I was busy unpacking my baggage, but as I had lectures in between, I had to take out my tools and make koji in a hurry. Koji to be made in a new place for the first time.
Although the tools should have been familiar to me, I was still nervous. I wondered if the koji fungus would like its new home.
One of the biggest changes was that the heat source for boiling the water used to steam the rice was switched to a gas fire. It used to be induction, so the difference is noticeable. The fire is definitely faster.
The difference in speed is remarkable just in cooking, but it also reduces the time difference in building up layers when steaming rice in a style of ‘nukegake’.
‘Nukegake’, a method where the soaked rice is not put into the steamer all at once, but in several separate layers.
First, the water is boiled and the first layer is placed in the steamer. It is neither too thin nor too thick. You will be able to determine this thickness yourself after a few times. For about 2 kg, I think it’s about 4-5 layers. (But it depends on the size of your steamer)

Scoop up the first layer of rice, and place them onto the bottom of the steamer

You can see the surface of rice turning transparent


Freshly steamed rice
