Japan comes to south Louisiana, fond memories article (country, people, travel)

[victimofGM]

https://countryroadsmagazine.com/cui...j3hJcOr0Ef4QYM

I was a kid when the events in the above article took place. Like much of Asia/Pacific, rice is a part of our cultural food history and many traditional meals include rice. When the Hitachi rice cooker arrived in south Louisiana it became a huge hit. Couple getting married or someone moving out on their own for the first time,…a Hitachi rice cooker was the gift of choice. Demand was so great in south Louisiana that executives from Hitachi traveled to the area to see why this area was selling the most of these rice cookers in all of USA. They encountered friendly people and acres of rice fields as well as numerous meals made with rice. Today if you mention this brand and model rice cooker you’ll find people with fond memories of these cookers. Those fond memories are tied to family. You’ll hear things like my mom, grandmother, aunt, or some other relative had one. A big pot of gumbo wasn’t ready until we heard that rice cooker “ding” letting us know that in just a few more minutes we could start eating. Many homes in south Louisiana still have a rice cooker of a similar design. The Hitachi rice cookers of today aren’t as popular in south Louisiana, mostly because of price, but in the 70s those were among the first products made in Japan that people here in south Louisiana purchased for the first time. People here were quick to accept this product and welcome it as part of the local culture.