1.
old rice; rice held over from a previous year's harvest
Rice harvested in an earlier year and stored, as opposed to 新米, the freshly harvested crop. It is still perfectly edible but drier and less fragrant, so it is priced lower and often blended with new rice.
Common collocations
- 古米を炊く: to cook old rice
- 古米と新米を混ぜる: to blend old and new rice
- 古古米: rice two harvests old (the next step down)
Similar words
- 新米: newly harvested rice — moist and aromatic, sold at a premium in autumn. Note that 新米 also means 'novice, rookie' when applied to a person; 古米 has no such figurative sense.
Usage
Japan's rice year runs from November, so rice from before that changeover becomes 古米. The word appears mainly on price tags and in cooking advice rather than in everyday conversation.
Related Words
Antonym:
新米 (newly harvested rice; novice)