Department store in Berlin to offer high-end Japanese rice on trial basis

Berlin – Germany’s largest department store in Berlin, Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe), will sell high-end brand rice from Japan on a trial basis for about two weeks this month, sources said Thursday.

The move comes as the Japanese side approached the department store about handling high-grade Japanese rice, at a time when the country aims to expand sales abroad through retail stores and people in Germany are increasingly interested in washoku Japanese cuisine.

Six varieties, including Yumepirika from Hokkaido and Koshihikari from Niigata Prefecture, will be available to purchase during the trial, set to run from Monday through Oct. 24.

Tastings will be available to allow customers to compare the flavors of the different rice varieties and produce from different regions. A leaflet on how to cook rice will also be distributed.

“We want people (in Germany) to find that rice flavors vary by production area, just like wine and olive oil,” an official from the Japanese side said.

The official added that the planned trial is also intended to raise awareness of high-quality Japanese rice as cheap non-Japanese rice is often used at washoku restaurants in Germany.

Between January and August, Japanese rice exports to Germany rose 15% compared to a year earlier to 699 metric tons, the largest among European countries.