Yoshinoya
rice

What is the “rice that’s just right for the sauce” in Yoshinoya beef bowl?

The kind of rice required for Yoshinoya’s beef bowl never changes. It’s “rice that’s just right for the sauce.” Soft and sticky rice may be tasty if eaten as is, but it’s not right for the sauce when used for beef bowl as such rice absorbs the sauce and gets wet. So, for beef bowl, what’s required is perfectly soft and fluffy rice, not too sticky and sweet.

The Yoshinoya Holdings Group uses about 30,000 tons of rice per year throughout the Group and more than 50% of that is for Yoshinoya stores. We procure various varieties of rice grown at locations throughout Japan to ensure stable supply of the required quantity of rice. As Yoshinoya is a chain operating nationwide, store operations must be consistent all over Japan. That means it is necessary to ensure the quality of rice is stable throughout the year. Our blending technology achieves this.

About 10 Yoshinoya rice blends are currently supplied to Yoshinoya stores in Japan. Each year we test and verify over 100 blends. As rice is a crop cultivated only once a year, its quality and characteristics vary from year to year, depending on the yield, where it is grown, and the variety. So, blends are modified and verified every year, continuously.

For verification of Yoshinoya rice blends, we analyze the quality and property of each variety of rice by physiochemical inspection and identify its suitability for blending. Then, we consider which varieties of rice to blend and their proportions, conduct a sensory test to check the taste, and determine the blend of Yoshinoya rice. The prerequisites are that the rice should have perfectly soft and fluffy characteristics so as not to absorb too much sauce, not be too sticky and sweet, and contribute to the all-round satisfying beef bowl experience.

Safety of Yoshinoya’s rice assured by agricultural produce inspection

Rice is Japan’s principal crop. In order to assure its safety, stringent inspection is performed pursuant to the law. Specifically, use of pesticides and fertilizers is checked; residue tests of pesticides, cadmium, and other substances are performed; and cultivation records are retained. Moreover, based on the Rice Traceability Act, Yoshinoya Holdings has a system in place for speedy tracing of test records and transaction records of all the rice received at its warehouses.

For the rice supplied to each Yoshinoya store, traceable information includes where the rice was harvested, the variety, and the grade, as well as the production lot at the rice polishing plant and the grower’s inspection records. In the event of any quality problem, the distribution route in question can be identified swiftly to find causes and deal with the problem.

What is the Rice Traceability Act?

At each process in the distribution of rice and processed foods containing rice, it is mandatory under the act to prepare and retain transaction records and provide the information on where the rice was harvested.

Firm relationships of trust built through face-to-face meetings between growers and buyers

To ensure stable procurement of ingredients, it is essential to cultivate broader and deeper relationships with reliable growers. For this purpose, buyers of Yoshinoya Holdings visit growers ranging from large-scale agribusinesses to small-scale part-time farmers, meeting them in person to build relationships of trust. We also hold workshops and other networking events for growers in various regions to create communities of local growers, thus helping them exchange information that will lead to development of their business.

Relationships of trust with growers leading to higher quality and stable procurement

We are convinced that cultivating relationships of trust is indispensable for stable transactions between growers and Yoshinoya Holdings. Crop yields and prices fluctuate from year to year. So, in principle, Yoshinoya has multi-year contracts with growers so that they can have peace of mind and plant a sufficient acreage for the required yield. In addition, we periodically hold a grower convention and emphasize face-to-face relationships with growers on an equal footing. We listen attentively to growers’ requests and proposals, often adopting their ideas. We emphasize win-win transactions that lead to business expansion.

Furthermore, we provide feedback to growers on the evaluation of the rice they deliver (taste and property data) each year, which they can reflect in new measures and techniques concerning next year’s crop. Based on our evaluation, growers make improvements. This cycle is contributing to continuous enhancement of quality from one year to the next.

Meticulous checks of quality management systems of rice polishing plants

For brown rice that has passed inspection, there is still a risk of contamination by foreign matter, such as stones and insects. We use high-precision sorters in the process for removal of foreign matter. Having set quality standards greatly exceeding the typical standards in the rice industry, we have realized virtually 100% removal of foreign matter. Moreover, we conduct periodic audits of rice polishing plants nationwide in order to prevent any quality management failure due to human error and we are also emphasizing provision of on-site guidance, including thorough acceptance inspection of ingredients.

Thorough quality management at each store

No shelf lives are determined for rice by law or regulation. However, from the viewpoint of freshness control, at Yoshinoya Holdings the time from rice polishing to delivery to stores is set to be within 10 days and our stores are required to use the rice within 30 days. In practice, rice is not stocked at stores for extended periods because of daily delivery of the necessary quantities of ingredients ordered by stores. Area managers always focus on the status of quality management and hygiene management performed by store staff. In addition, mindful of the risk of rice becoming wet or containers being damaged during storage, we continuously review the strength of rice containers and the locations of ventilation holes.

Quality management of beef bowl based on the Standards of Principal Ingredients

The Yoshinoya brand is reaching out from Japan to the world. With about 900 stores in the U.S., East Asia, and Southeast Asia, the number of Yoshinoya stores overseas is approaching that in Japan. In overseas business development, the Yoshinoya Holdings Group has been implementing quality management overseas based on the Standards of Principal Ingredients that strictly specify the taste of Yoshinoya beef bowl. Quality management in accordance with the specifications ensures minimal variation in the taste of Yoshinoya beef bowl even though ingredients other than beef and sauce are procured, in principle, at the discretion of regional headquarters and franchises. Regarding rice, in accordance with the quality standards specified by the Standards of Principal Ingredients, rice produced in a country where Yoshinoya stores operate is blended so as to be the optimum for beef bowl. Yoshinoya stores in China use rice grown in China and those in the U.S. use rice grown in the U.S.

However, in view of the food culture and consumers’ preferences in each area, maintaining quality based on the common standards is not a straightforward matter. Therefore, we have put in place a system whereby personnel in charge of merchandising and personnel in charge of quality management in each country can consult Yoshinoya Holdings buyers who have a sure grasp of the essence of the taste of Yoshinoya’s beef bowl. Personnel in charge of quality management and field counselors in each area periodically audit stores’ management systems and ingredient suppliers, providing guidance to them so as to ensure customers can enjoy Yoshinoya beef bowl of uniform quality anywhere in the world.