Ochazuke

Ochazuke (Tea-Poured Rice Bowl with Salmon)

Ochazuke is a humble Japanese comfort dish: hot green tea (or dashi) poured over a bowl of steamed rice topped with flaked salmon, crisp nori, and a salty-sour umeboshi. It is the classic late-night or end-of-meal bowl when appetite is small but the soul needs something warm.

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

Serves

2

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz / ~1½ cups) short-grain Japanese rice, uncooked; rinse until water runs clear
• •150 g (5¼ oz) salmon fillet, skin on, fresh, sushi-grade if serving lightly cured
• •500 ml (2 cups) hot green tea, ryokucha or hojicha; brewed strong, not boiling (cool 30 sec)
• •2 pieces umeboshi (pickled plums), pitted, or use 1 per bowl; substitute salted salmon if unavailable
• •1 sheet nori (toasted seaweed), shredded by hand just before serving
• •2 stalks scallion, thinly sliced, green part only
• •1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, white or black, optional
• •1 tsp soy sauce, usukuchi if available; adjust to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) salt, for cooking the salmon
• •1 tsp neutral oil, for pan-searing the salmon

Steps

1. 1 Cook the rice: rinse 300 g short-grain rice until water runs clear, then cook with 360 ml (1¼ cups) water in a rice cooker or covered pot until tender. Rest 10 minutes; keep warm.
2. 2 Prepare the salmon: pat the 150 g fillet dry and season lightly with ½ tsp salt. Heat 1 tsp neutral oil in a small skillet over medium heat, place fillet skin-side down, and cook 3–4 minutes until the skin is crisp. Flip and cook 2–3 minutes more until the interior reaches an internal temperature of 63 °C (145 °F) on an instant-read thermometer and flakes easily. Transfer to a plate and flake into bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and any pin bones.
3. 3 Brew the tea: steep strong green tea (ryokucha) in 500 ml hot water at about 80 °C (175 °F) - not boiling - for 2 minutes, then strain into a teapot or small pitcher. If using hojicha, hot water straight off the boil is fine.
4. 4 Prep the toppings: shred the toasted nori sheet by hand into rough strips, thinly slice the scallion greens, and pit the umeboshi, tearing each into two pieces.
5. 5 Assemble each bowl: divide the warm rice between two donburi bowls, mounding it slightly. Top with the flaked salmon, scatter the nori and scallion, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds, tuck in the umeboshi, and drizzle with 1 tsp soy sauce.
6. 6 Pour and serve at the table: bring the teapot to the table and pour the hot tea over each bowl (about 250 ml per bowl) so it comes roughly halfway up the rice. Let it sit 30 seconds for the nori to soften, then eat promptly with chopsticks and a spoon for the broth.