In search of the perfect rice

Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion about the deliciousness of any particular batch of rice. To minimize this subjectivity of the senses, Satake has created an automated system for judging the quality of Japan’s staple foodstuff.

The device first determines the freshness, by evaluating the aroma, of uncooked white rice and then takes a measure of the flavor, firmness, and viscosity of the boiled product. A composite of all of the data is created, resulting in a final score out of 100.

At ¥5, 775,000 the device is designed for producers rather than the average consumer, who will, unfortunately, have to continue to rely on their own senses. Though we are eager to try some “perfect” rice!