{"product_id":"the-rice-company-sushi-rice-500g","title":"The Rice Company -Sushi Rice 500g","description":"\u003cp\u003eLong before it was the star of your favorite roll, sushi rice was a humble kitchen superhero. Over a thousand years ago along the Mekong River, short-grain rice wasn’t actually eaten, it was used as a natural blanket to preserve fresh fish. Packed with salt, the rice fermented the fish to keep it fresh, and once the process was done, the rice was tossed away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything changed in medieval Japan, when impatient foodies realized they didn’t want to wait months or waste the rice. By the 17th century, clever Japanese brewers had a breakthrough: adding freshly made rice vinegar directly to cooked rice. This gave the grains that signature tangy kick instantly, creating modern \u003ci\u003esumeshi\u003c\/i\u003e (vinegared rice) and saving months of waiting. By the 1820s on the bustling streets of Tokyo, a vendor named Hanaya Yohei realized the naturally sticky rice could be hand-pressed into neat little pads topped with raw fish. Just like that, street-side \u003ci\u003enigiri\u003c\/i\u003e was born, transforming rice from a simple wrapper into the heart and soul of Japanese cuisine.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Spice People","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53091114058045,"sku":null,"price":6.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0903\/9596\/7805\/files\/Screenshot2026-09-17at11.12.08am.png?v=1789607673","url":"https:\/\/thespicepeople.com.au\/products\/the-rice-company-sushi-rice-500g","provider":"The Spice People","version":"1.0","type":"link"}