Welcome to today's episode. In a surprising turn of events, South Korean rice is making a splash in Japan. Historically, Japanese consumers have shunned foreign rice, but recent high prices have prompted a dramatic shift. “The first South Korean imports to Japan in decades cleared the shelves within days,” South Korean officials announced, despite the quantity being relatively small—just over two tons.

This is remarkable given the last rice crisis in Japan back in 1993, when imported rice often went unsold. According to Park Jaehyun, a South Korean rice sommelier, “Japanese rice itself is so delicious that people haven’t had the confidence to eat foreign rice.” However, he adds, “Now they know: The quality of rice is also quite good in South Korea.”

With Japan facing a staggering 200,000-ton shortage of its staple grain, the government has had to tap into emergency reserves, pushing prices to double what they were last year. This situation is fostering an appreciation for foreign rice varieties. The South Korean National Agricultural Cooperative Federation shared that it hadn't exported rice to Japan for at least 35 years. A significant shift indeed! Tune in next time for more updates on this developing story.
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