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Ochazuke is a simple one-bowl dish featuring steamed rice with an assortment of savoury toppings. Brewed green tea (ocha) is poured over the ingredients to partially submerge them (zuke).
This dish is simple to prepare, nourishing and the ultimate comfort food for when your body needs a little nurturing.
Because ochazuke is so gentle on the digestive system, it is a wonderful choice to soothe an upset stomach or heartburn as well as being delicious to eat at any time of the day.
Ochazuke – The Elements of Your Dish
1. Start with Rice
Every bowl of ochazuke starts with cooked rice. Short-grain Japanese white rice is standard, but brown rice can be used a healthy alternative.
2. Add Toppings
Your ochazuke toppings can be tailored to your particular tastes and will generally include:
Protein — we enjoy fresh salmon – cooked (hot or cooled) or raw. Alternatively you can prepare an egg omelette/ marinated tofu or perhaps use a meat simmered in soy sauce and mirin rice wine. Season your protein well.
Vegetables - Pickled vegetables such as cucumber or radish, followed by wakame seaweed or kizami nori (dried shredded seaweed). You can also add freshly sliced herbs such as flat leaf parsley, coriander, spring onions or chives and add some greens such as mizuna or microgreen leaf or wilted spinach. Bean sprouts are good for extra crunch.
Season your dish - with freshly grated ginger, wasabi horseradish, or white sesame seeds (toasted are lovely). You may also want to add some more crunch to your dish with roasted nuts or seeds. A dash of light soy sauce (1/2 teaspoon) added to your completed dish on serving is also a useful seasoning.
3. Pour Hot Green Tea over Your Rice
Hot tea is the final component of ochazuke. We recommend either our Japanese Sencha or the Genmaicha (green tea with roasted brown rice).
Prepare the tea as the final step in preparation of your dish. For a single bowl serve we recommend:
- 1 tspJapanese green tea leaves(Sencha or Genmaicha) per person
- 1cuphot water(just below boiling)
- Steep for 3 minutes. As it is steeping start assembling your dish.
Assemble your dish:
(a) Place the cooked rice in the serving bowl
(b) Add your protein on top of the rice
(c) Add your seasoning and vegetable elements
(d) Pour your brewed tea gently over and around your ingredients up to about half way. Add soy sauce if desired.
(e) Allow the hot liquid to soak up into the rice, and then enjoy!
A dish for all seasons:
You can use cold rice and cold tea in the summertime to enjoy a cool and refreshing version of Ochazuke
Notes:
For a beautifully plated dish we recommend using a smaller sized bowl or cup to mound the rice in your serving bowl.
Pouring your brewed tea around the edge of the bowl will avoid disturbing your perfectly piled ingredients.
FAQs
There really is no bad time to eat ochazuke. My favorite ochazuke recipe has a combination of dashi and green tea for the broth, because I really love the combination of those flavors, plus the toppings of broiled salmon, umeboshi, scallions and furikake.
Is ochazuke healthy? ›
Because ochazuke is so gentle on the digestive system, it is a wonderful choice to soothe an upset stomach or heartburn as well as being delicious to eat at any time of the day. Every bowl of ochazuke starts with cooked rice. Short-grain Japanese white rice is standard, but brown rice can be used a healthy alternative.
What does ochazuke mean in Japanese? ›
Ochazuke (お茶漬け) is a traditional dish from Japan, and it literally means "submerged in tea", since, well, you submerge the rice in the tea. It's not the kind of thing you'd find in a Japanese restaurant though, since it's really meant to be a quick, easy dish you make at home. Simple, cozy, and super nostalgic.
What is the Japanese tea with rice? ›
Genmaicha (玄米茶, "brown rice tea") is a Japanese brown rice green tea consisting of green tea mixed with roasted popped brown rice.
Why do you put rice in tea? ›
Genmaicha is also called "poor man's tea". Rice was added to green tea as a filler, to make the very expensive tea last longer. It also added a bit of substance to the tea, and so it was often consumed by people who were fasting, and by people who simply had to go a long time between meals.
Can you drink tea with rice? ›
Rice and tea both fit well in a healthy diet, providing nutrients that help your body thrive. While little research exists on the benefits of consuming these foods together, each has a set of benefits that contributes to optimal wellness.
What is the difference between ochazuke and chazuke? ›
"Ochazuke", also known as "chazuke" is a very popular, traditional Japanese dish made by pouring hot green tea over rice with savory toppings. This delicious dish is flavored with green tea!
How to enjoy ochazuke? ›
Ochazuke with Dashi: When you're ready to eat, pour the hot dashi into the bowl to cover the rice halfway and top with 2 sprigs mitsuba and wasabi. Enjoy! Ochazuke with Tea: When you're ready to eat, pour the hot tea into the bowl to cover the rice halfway and top with 2 sprigs mitsuba and wasabi.
Do you eat ochazuke with chopsticks? ›
You can use a spoon, just like for Western style soup, but Japanese usually just stir it around with chopsticks and slurp it down. I particularly like ochazuke with brown rice and any kind of Japanese tea may be used; green tea, hojicha, bancha and genmaicha.
Why do Japanese drink green tea with food? ›
Green tea is known to have the power of boosting the blood vessels and circulatory system and stave off germs. It is this Vitamin C that gives green tea the attribute of being an effective mean of fighting off colds.
Steps to Make It
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) |
|---|
| 256 | Calories |
| 7g | Fat |
| 30g | Carbs |
| 16g | Protein |
Jul 23, 2021
Matcha green tea
Matcha is the tea used traditionally in the Japanese tea ceremony. To make it, approximately 2g of matcha powder is added to a special bowl, along with hot water with a temperature between 70°C and 85°C.
What food pairs well with Genmaicha? ›
Genmaicha is best enjoyed with lighter meals, sushi, or sashimi. With a flavor profile ideal for fatty fish, it's actually one of the most popular teas served at sushi restaurants. Mild desserts like shortbread and butter cookies also pair well with genmaicha.
What is served with Japanese tea? ›
Pairing Japanese Teas With Food
Umami-rich food such as oysters, tuna, shiitake mushrooms, and seaweed. These foods pair well with gyokuro and high-grade sencha. Kukicha and matcha pair well with desserts. Kukicha has a natural sweetness from its L-theanine content, making it a nice complement to desserts.
What Flavour goes with Genmaicha? ›
GENMAICHA (Green Tea with Roasted Brown Rice)
The flavour of this tea beautifully complements fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, so Mirin Glazed Salmon or Tekkamaki Tuna Sushi Roll are both great matches. Now you know what food pairs well with different types of tea!
