Handcrafted in Nagano prefecture, only made from over 100 year-old Kiso Sawara, straight grained cypress wood, this wooden rice chests are absolutely stunning. Functional and timeless, Azmaya inherits its sublime design from traditional “Ohitsu” rice containers, perfected over hundreds of years of use in homes and professional kitchens alike. Using an Ohitsu rice chest will keep your perfectly cooked rice fluffy and delicious throughout the day.

Each rice chest is produced using handpicked Sawara cypress by master Japanese wood artisans. Similar to Hinoki wood, Sawara cypress offers a natural antibacterial quality, incredibly resilient against moisture accumulation. Sawara has the advantage of being less likely to impart unwanted flavour into cooked rice, making it an ideal material for food preparation tools and utensils. Sawara wood is said to ‘breathe’ and absorbs excess water, naturally regulating moisture while extracting the intrinsic yet enhanced sweetness of the rice kept safe inside. In the process, the wood helps balance the firmness of high quality rice grains, and maintains these natural flavours long after the cooked rice has cooled. It is precisely this quality of wood and craftsmanship that has made traditional Ohitsu rice containers popular for so long.

This Ohitsu rice chest is meant to be used between the moment your rice has been cooked and when it is served. It should also be kept at room temperature as sudden cooling effects of refrigeration may cause the wood to contract and shrink.

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