[After the Microwave Broke]

It has been a few months since our microwave broke. We hadn't been using it that frequently, but there was one thing that became a problem. That was defrosting rock-solid frozen rice.

Freezing the extra rice cooked at night and defrosting it in the microwave on busy mornings or at noon. This was no longer possible. For a while after the microwave broke, I used the frozen rice as it was to make zosui (rice soup), or of course, steamed it in a seiro to defrost it, but both methods took a bit too much time, which left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

So, I shifted to a new approach: moving the frozen rice I want to use in the morning or at noon to the refrigerator the night before to slowly half-defrost it, thereby reducing the time it takes to steam. Furthermore, by using a "wa-seiro" (Japanese-style steamer), specifically "Kurikyu's Magewappa Seiro", I was able to keep the steaming time relatively short.

When defrosting two servings of frozen rice in our home, I lay baking paper at the bottom of the seiro, put the half-defrosted rice right in, and steam it. Since it is frozen in a square shape, the trick is to occasionally check on it and break it apart with a shamoji (rice scoop) so it heats evenly. Once it is about half-defrosted in the steamer, I add an egg and steam for another 6 minutes or so. This way, a soft-boiled egg is ready at the exact same time the rice is done steaming. Although it depends on the amount of rice, on this day, it took about 13 minutes in total from the time the water boiled and the seiro was placed over the pot.

The strength of a wa-seiro is that because of its height, even if you put in a bulky portion of frozen rice, it doesn't touch the lid, and the steam circulates thoroughly inside. In addition, the thick, heavy wooden lid completely traps the heat and steam inside, allowing the heat to reach the core in a short time. Moreover, its humidity control is excellent. Because the wooden lid absorbs excess water droplets, water doesn't drip down and make the rice soggy. Only the optimal moisture required by the rice circulates inside, restoring the plumpness to every single grain.

Also, the wa-seiro, made of natural Akita cedar wood, has outstanding heat retention. The thick wooden lid and the body store heat and keep it piping hot for a while, so there's no need to rush to eat. Defrost the frozen rice in the fridge from the night before, steam it all at once in the wa-seiro the next morning, and bring it straight to the table like an "ohitsu" (wooden rice container). This is our family's new routine after the microwave broke.

The breakdown of the appliance was unfortunate, but thanks to it, I was able to review my daily preparation and utilize the further potential of the wa-seiro, which I already found handy for cooking. Using a seiro doesn't mean I'm being particularly meticulous; as a result, being able to effortlessly establish a new routine for defrosting rice in our daily lives has been a great takeaway. In my kitchen today, where the form of convenience has changed, I am once again realizing the joy of mastering tools.

Kurikyu's Magewappa Seiro
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kurikyu/seiro.html
Wadasuke Seisakusho's Rice Scoop Holder
https://www.shokunin.com/en/wadasuke/shamoji.html
Azmaya's Rice Scoop #6.5
https://www.shokunin.com/en/azmaya/miyajima.html