Kanji 越 surpass, cross over, move to Related words あきたこまち Another popular Japanese rice variety, often compared to Koshihikari but with a slightly firmer texture.
ササニシキ A traditional premium rice variety that is less sticky than Koshihikari, preferred for sushi by some chefs.
Written forms コシヒカリ Usage 97%
kana-only spelling
Standard katakana spelling for this rice variety name; usually written in kana.
こしひかり Usage 3%
Hiragana spelling, also common.
越こし 光ひかり
Kanji spelling; rarely used in practice.
Etymology Named in 1956 from 越 , the historic region spanning present-day Fukui through Niigata, and 光 , expressing the hope that the variety would “shine throughout 越の国 .” It was bred in Fukui and named when adopted in Niigata.
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