Muji’s creamy and easy-to-make risotto packages are surprisingly gourmet

At Mujirushi Ryohin (more commonly known as Muji) in Japan, you can find a variety of not only household goods but also surprisingly tasty packaged foods such as instant curry, freeze-dried soup and many other tasty meals.

The options are abundant, and what’s appealing about Muji’s food section is that almost at every visit, you can find something new.

The other day, we found a new risotto series called “Made-in-Italy”, which apparently has all the ingredients in the package, and only needs to be simmered in a pot to cook.

We picked up two of Muji’s ready-to-eat risotto packages to see how they fared in a taste test.

The two we chose from their lineup were “Cheese Cream” and “Porcini”.

First, place all the package contents in a small pot.

We were surprised to see that there was actual Italian uncooked rice in the package, quickly heightening our anticipation for possibly high quality risotto.

Once the water of suggested amount is added to the pot, stir and put the heat on high until boiling.

Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium, and continue to simmer until it becomes creamy. Make sure to stir frequently so the rice doesn’t stick on the bottom.

Do not cover to let liquid evaporate completely.

The finished aesthetic was so appetizing that it made us want to get a better dish to serve properly for next time! We settled for sprinkling it with black pepper after plating.

Giving it a taste test, the Cheese Cream flavor was as expected; a very rich cheese flavor. While we initially only added the black pepper for the sake of the picture, it complimented the risotto and brought out the cheesy flavor even more.

The Porcini risotto had a subtler flavor compared to its cheesy counterpart. However, the strong mushroom flavor made it all the more refreshing.

The packages are so easy and simple to make, but since you have to cook the rice, you'll want about 30 minutes to work with.

Each Risotto from Muji's “Made-in-Italy Risotto” series is 290 yen (tax included), making it an unexpected bargain for its high quality.

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