Rice, bread and noodles

Staples. The live questions are rice flour and gluten, and refinement versus whole grain.

Choosing staples

Staples are eaten in volume, so small differences compound. The main axes are degree of refinement (white, partially milled or brown rice; white or wholemeal flour), origin, and method — long fermentation, natural leaven.

Japan offers an unusually wide range of rice-flour breads and noodles. If you are avoiding gluten, check whether wheat gluten has been added.

What to check

Country-of-origin labelling for the raw grain
Added gluten in rice-flour products
The fat in bread: shortening, margarine or butter
Noodle binders — wheat in soba, kansui and egg in ramen noodles