Calrose Rice
The variety of rice known as Calrose was first developed as an experimental crop of medium-grain japonica rice in California. This strain was created at the Rice Experiment Station located near Biggs, and was made available to growers in California in 1948.

Hawaiian locals prefer to call this type of rice "sticky rice." Its sticky texture allows for easier shaping of foods such as musubi and various types of sushi.

I personally enjoy the taste of this particular brand of rice more than any others. Calrose rice was the only type my parents ever purchased, so it's what I grew up with.

 

 

The Calrose Rice Sack
My mom and aunties, who were homemakers during the 1950s and 1960s, had a great sense of resourcefulness. They never wasted any item that could be repurposed, including rice sacks.

When I was younger, my mother would repurpose rice sacks by cutting them into squares or rectangles, overlapping the edges, and sewing them together to create kitchen towels. These sacks were made of 100% cotton and became soft after a few washes.

Whenever I visited my Filipino friends and relatives, I noticed that they would hang these rice sack towels from their kitchen drawer cabinets. I regret not having kept one as a memento of my mother's ingenuity. If I had, I would have framed it and displayed it on my wall as a unique piece of decor.