Berlin, Oct. 8 (Jiji Press)–Kaufhaus des Westens, or KaDeWe, Germany’s largest department store in Berlin, will sell high-end brand rice from Japan on a trial basis for about two weeks this month, Jiji Press learned Thursday. The move comes as the Japanese side approached the department store about handling high-grade Japanese rice, at a time when the Asian 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 the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido and Koshihikari from the central prefecture of Niigata, will be up for sale during the trial, set to run from Monday through Oct. 24. Tasting will be available to allow customers to compare the flavors of different rice varieties and produce from different regions. A leaflet on how to cook rice will 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. In January-August, Japanese rice exports to Germany rose 15 pct from a year earlier to 699 tons, the largest among European countries. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
