also: あかまい
red rice; red-kerneled rice
Refers to an ancient variety of rice with red bran; also used for modern red-kerneled rice varieties. This is the primary modern meaning.
赤米は古代から栽培されてきた品種です。
Red rice is a variety that has been cultivated since ancient times.
aged rice; browned rice
Rice that has turned brown due to age or poor storage; not a desirable quality. Less common in everyday usage.
倉庫に長く置かれた赤米は食用には向かない。
Aged rice that has been stored in a warehouse for a long time is not suitable for eating.
low-quality foreign rice
Historical term for cheap imported rice, often with reddish grains, considered inferior to domestic rice. Rare in modern usage.
戦前は赤米と呼ばれる安い外米が流通していた。
Before the war, cheap foreign rice called 'akamai' was distributed.
Standard kanji spelling; reading あかまい is more common for the rice variety, while あかごめ is an alternate reading.
Alternate reading; may be encountered in some contexts, but あかまい is more standard.
Formed from the native reading 赤（あか） and the Sino-Japanese reading 米（まい）, meaning red-colored or red-kerneled rice.