Genmai is whole grain rice, which means it's either unmilled or partially milled. When only the outermost layer of a rice grain (the husk) is removed, you'll get brown rice. To get white rice, you'll need to remove the layers below the husk: the bran layer and the germ.

Compared to white rice, genmai is chewier and more nutritious, with a mild, nutty flavor. While genmai is the healthiest variety of rice, it's not as popular as white rice, probably because that nutty flavor only goes with certain types of dishes. For example, brown rice is hardly ever used to make sushi or onigiri. This is in part due to aesthetic reasons, as well as the fact that it's not as sticky as white rice.

However, there are plenty of creative ways to enjoy genmai, whether in Japanese dishes like omuraisu (egg omelet over rice) or Western dishes like risotto. Find out a few other creative ways to enjoy genmai by heading to Oishii below!