Japan – Chazuki

by Zayna Khan

This is a very unique dish of Japanese cuisine in which we can mix rice with prepared green tea and pour over the rice. This is a very popular breakfast and can be used as snacks. This is a simple, light, mild flavor, and low calories dish. Green tea is a very healthy drink so we can add it into the dish and make it consume in a unique way. Green tea, Steamed rice having some mild savory flavors to put on the height of the flavor is best.

This is a one-pot dish that is so quick to make and enjoyed as a quick meal or hurry meal. It takes less time to make this dish and loved by the Japanese people.

Alternative names of the same dish

There are many different names of the same dish of Japanese cuisine are the following:

• Chazuke
• Ochazuke
• Cha-Cha ghohan
• Bubuzuke, etc

Name of the dish which is used in Japanese cuisine is ”CHAZUKE”. From this word ”CHA” means ”TEA” and ”ZUKE” means ”SUBMERGE”.

Green tea poured over the cooked steamed rice and some different toppings can be added to the dish. Toppings are personal choice, it can be any meat, cheese, tofu, pickles, seafood, etc.

TOPPINGS TO ADD ON TO THE DISH

• Tsukemono
• Kasuzuke
• Tofu
• Umeboshi
• Nori seaweed
• Tarako
• sesame seeds
• Pollock roe
• Scallions
• salmon
• prawns, etc.

TSUKEMONO

Tsukemono means PICKLE, which can be of anything like vegetables, meat, fruits, etc. Usually, vegetables are used in the tsukemono technique to preserve things with salt, brine, and vinegar, etc. There are different preservatives used to preserve the vegetables like the following :

• salt and vinegar
• sugar and vinegar
• soya sauce
• sake kasu
• brine
• vinegar
• miso, etc

GREEN TEA VARIETIES

There are many varieties of green tea used in making this dish. Green tea which is very soothing to the stomach gives energy and tastes good. This can be added to the dish which is just rice. You can make it a wholesome meal by adding meat, some tofu, vegetables, etc. As your choice. In Japan there are types of green tea served in this dish like :

• Genmaicha
• Hojicha
• Sencha
• Green tea broth
• Green tea induce dashi broth, etc

CHAUKE MAKING TIME

• Preparation time = 10 minutes
• Total time cooking = 20 minutes
• Serving = 5 minutes
• Total procedure = 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS OF CHAZUKE

• Rice = 2 bowls
• Kizami nori = 1 teaspoon
• Soya sauce = 4 tablespoons
• Mitsuba = 2 tablespoons
• Mirin = 1 teaspoon
• Sesame seeds = 2 tablespoons

FOR GREEN TEA

• Japanese green tea / sencha / hojicha = 2 tablespoons
• Soya sauce = 2 tablespoons
• Water = 2 cups

FOR DASHI GREEN TEA BROTH

• Dashi soup / broth = 1 cup
• Soya sauce = 2 tablespoons
• Mirin = 2 tablespoons
• Kosher salt = 1 teaspoon

TOPPINGS

• Salted salmon = 1/2 cup
• Tofu = half cup

COOKING METHOD

• First of all, we have to cook rice, so the base of the dish is prepared. To cook rice, take a cooking pot and add2 cups of water with salt, soya sauce, mirin, and sesame seeds.
• Bring this broth a boil so we can add rice into it. After adding rice, wait for the water to get a simmer.
• When simmering starts, put the rice on low heat. It gives the rice flavorful steam to cook into it.
• While rice is cooking we have to prepare our dashi broth and simple green tea.
• To make dashi broth, combine all ingredients together and boil it for 5 minutes until 1/4 of water reduced. Strain the mixture and serve it into the serving kettle.
• Now for green tea preparation, add all ingredients together and bring it to a boil. It takes 5 minutes to reduce to half.
• Now pour this into the serving kettle.

SERVING

• For serving take a bowl and add steamed rice into it, add some cooked salmon over it with tofu as personal choice.
• Now pour hot green tea and dashi broth over the rice.
• We served rice bowls with salmon and green tea in the kettle separately so you can put as much green tea you like to put into the bowl.
• Enjoy the meal.