Sawara wood is resistant to water and acidity and has excellent breathability, making it ideal for the rice trays used to make sushi rice (vinegared rice), and is popular among many professionals, including sushi chefs.
By mixing the rice while breaking it up as if cutting it, each grain of rice comes into contact with the air, bringing out the rice's inherent flavor and resulting in fluffy, chewy, and shiny rice.
In addition, the wood surface absorbs the rice's moisture just right and is highly breathable, so even after it has cooled, the rice does not become sticky or hard, allowing you to enjoy fluffy, soft, and delicious rice.
This is the handmade commitment
The Edo ohitsu that Tagami makes are all handmade, from the selection of wood to the finishing touches.
*The handmade process from cutting the logs to making the rice container is a must-see. Please take a look at the product introduction video.
・Made from a single tree
Tagami's products are always made from materials taken from a single tree.
Apparently, each piece of Sawara varies greatly in color, hardness, and characteristics depending on where it was grown. There is a huge difference in the finished product between products made from a single tree and those made from other trees, in terms of appearance and the precision of the combination that comes from the compatibility of the materials.
-Selection and cutting of wood
Mr. Tagami is particular about the selection of wood.
He pays particular attention to the wood that will be used for the base. Wood cut by machine often has an angled grain, which can lead to distortion, twisting, and bending when made into a product. The wood that Tagami uses is called "honmasu," a type of wood with straight grain that can only be obtained by cutting perpendicularly towards the center of the tree. He asks a sawmill to specially cut out a small portion of the wood that can be taken from each tree.
・Distortion and even shrinkage...
Even after it has been made into an ohitsu, sawara is still alive. Therefore, the material itself may warp or shrink slightly as it is used. Tagami calculates how the wood will change shape in the future, and sometimes deliberately crafts the product with some warping or slack. The ohitsu becomes more comfortable as it is used. Tagami even uses the warping and shrinkage of the wood as a means to increase its strength and density.
"Five Trees of Kiso" Sawara
Along with cypress, sawara is one of the "Five Trees of Kiso" and has played a central role in Kiso's lumber industry for many years. With its beautiful grain and excellent breathability and moisture resistance, it is highly valued as a material for wet area items such as buckets, bathtubs, rice containers, and rice cookers.
The sawara trees currently used to make rice containers and rice trays are 200 to 300 years old. They have a sweet, subtle fragrance, and the components they contain have a strong forest bathing effect, which is one of their characteristics.
Usage notes
1. Before use, coat the inside of the bucket with vinegar, fill it with hot water, and leave it to cool.
(If the wood smell bothers you, repeat this process several times.)
2. After use, wash with water and dry in the shade.
3. When storing, wrap it in newspaper or similar and store it in a cool place.
*If you leave rice in the pot overnight, bacteria will grow in the rice and cause mold.
Put only the amount of rice you will eat that day in your rice container and wash it immediately after you're done. This is said to be the secret to making your rice container and rice tray last longer.
I personally handcraft each product with love, from selecting the wood to using as material. If you take care of it with love, it will last for a long time, so please use it as much as you like.
Size: Length x Width x Height: 30 x 30 x 9.5 cm (outer diameter) Inner diameter: 26.5-27 cm
Weight: Approx. 700g