How to Buy a Japanese Table

I think the Japanese enjoy that textural difference. Sometimes you have porcelain, which is very smooth and glass-like. And sometimes you have very rough pottery, including unglazed pottery like bizenware. Because the natural moisture of the food can be somewhat absorbed into the pottery itself. You have to sort of prepare them for having food put in them. The runoff water from washing rice is starchy in a very wonderful way. It has just a little bit of the natural rice that oils in it. I think people who don't wash rice are missing out on good tasting rice.