What Is Joshinko Rice Flour? Exploring Japanese Rice Variant

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By Ashley Woodward • Last Updated: February 16, 2023

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What Is Joshinko Rice Flour

What is Joshinko Rice Flour? Today we will explore a healthy and tasty Japanese rice variant.

What is Rice Flour?

If are eating rice for a long time, you know for show the number of rice variants available today. I bet that you are also aware of the meal possibilities that rice presents to your kitchen.

Well, since time immemorial, rice is a staple in most homes all over the world. Most recently, we can see that the variants have sneaked their ways into numerous pantries globally.

One of the most common variants that people are finding useful these days is rice flour. This is basically a type of flour that has been processed from the fine milling of rice grains.

People are now using it as a replacement for wheat flour because it has more nutrients compared to the usual flour. Being one of the biggest product in cooking culture, there are numerous types of rice flour available which is lead by Joshinko Rice Flour.

What is Joshinko Rice Flour?

Joshinko Rice Flour

Joshinko rice flour is a type of Japanese rice flour that is produced by grinding short, medium, and long grain rice types. Through the years, it has been used for its thickening abilities as well as its numerous health properties.

Normally, people use it as a flour-based ingredient in various gluten-free baked goods as a substitute for wheat flour that is typically used while baking many types of pastries.

On this post, we will look at Joshinko rice flour in depth and get you aboard the rice flour bandwagon.

You will get why many people prefer to use it mainly because it is integral to their weight loss journeys while adding a great taste, texture, and quality to your meal. Sounds interesting? Read on and learn what Joshinko rice flour is all about!

What Is Joshinko Rice Flour Made Of?

First things first, you need to know that rice flour is not like any other flour types in the market. In the past, rice flour was only produced during the coldest winter times because it was the only time that people had access to an abundance of running water.

Presently, technological advancements have made it possible to produce this flour through the year. More precisely, Joshinko Rice Flour is produced from the process of milling short grain rice.

This rice goes through the normal process of washing, drying the finally, it is ground to result in the flour. Many manufacturers take advantage of any grains that are broken or damaged during the milling process and turn them into ground flour.

The production process can be undertaken using brown or white rice because they are all suitable for the wide range of uses that the Joshinko flour is responsible for.

Where Does Joshinko Flour Originate?

Originally, the first traces of rice flour were in Japan, South East Asia, and Southern India. The Japanese cuisine uses this rice flour as a thickening agent, especially when making soups, gravy and various types of sauces.

There isn’t so much that has been said about the origin of Joshinko other than it is originally made from Japanese rice.

How Is Joshinko Flour Made?

Malaysian Rice cake

While making this flour, the non-waxy rice goes through the normal milling process first. Check out how to make Joshinko rice flour:

  1. It goes through washing, soaking and draining methods.
  2. Next, the drained rice is crushed and ground in running water until it is very fine. Remember what we mentioned about the ancient people only doing this process during winter when there was water? You can now recognize that the rice can’t be ground finely if a significant amount of water is absent.
  3. Moving forward, once the rice is ground, it is then dried to produce the final result, which is the Joshinko flour.

While this is the standard procedure when making different types of rice flours, it is important to note that some rice flours have elements such as maltitol, α,α-trehalose and other types of sugars added to the final product.

How Joshinko Was Used In the Traditional Cuisine?

Joshinko is originally from Japan. As other types of rice flours, it is a thickening agent especially when making various types of soups, gravies, and sauces that accompanied meals like Japanese noodles, pasta, and even rice.

This rice flour is a popular choice in making famous Japanese sweets. Joshinko is also present in meals such as Kashiwa Mochi, Dango, and Zenzai (Oshiruko).

It is doughy and slightly chewy in texture in comparison to other rice flour types.

Joshinko Rice Flour Vs Rice Flour

wheat flour

Rice flour comes from glutinous rice while Joshinko is basically gluten-free. On these grounds, each of these rice flour variants has a different purpose and even yields different results when used in the kitchen.

In addition, Joshinko comes from non-waxy rice, it has to go through several process in order to produce confectionery goods. This is why Joshinko rice flour has lesser variety of foods.

Conversely, ordinary rice flour is for making wide variety of meals such as rice crackers, dumplings, and even noodles among many more. It comes from sticky rice that is from the short grain variety.

It is glutinous which means that it just has a higher starch content and not gluten as many people perceive. This factor makes it useful as a thickening agent as well as a great binder for foods such as noodles.

Which Is Healthier?

Joshinko flour consist fewer calories than ordinary rice flour and significantly helps reduce the amount of oil retained in food.  Joshinko is ideal for weight loss because it is completely gluten-free and a great source of energy.

It helps the body to remain sated for longer periods thereby eliminating the possibility of overeating. Alongside normal rice flour, it is a great substitute for wheat flour because unlike the latter, Joshinko helps to alleviate digestive issues.

Wrapping Up…

Joshinko rice flour is definitely one of the items that should be dominating your pantry. Not only does it present numerous health benefits, it is also great for spicing up meals and keeping you healthy.

Do you have any other interesting facts about Joshinko Rice Flour? Let us know about them in the comment box below, we would love to hear from you!

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