Chazuke

Chazuke, also known as ochazuke, is a comforting Japanese dish where green tea, dashi, or hot water is poured over a bowl of cooked rice. This simple and versatile meal is ideal for utilizing leftover rice. A variety of toppings can be added to enhance the dish, including Japanese pickles, umeboshi (pickled plums), nori (seaweed), furikake (seasoning), sesame seeds, tarako (cod roe), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), salted salmon, shiokara (fermented seafood), scallions, and even a dab of wasabi for added heat.

Chazuke, also referred to as cha-cha gohan, boasts a long history. It originated in the Heian period when people poured water over their rice. By the Edo period, tea had emerged as the preferred liquid. In Kyoto, this dish is known as bubuzuke.

Since the 1970s, instant ochazuke packets, complete with freeze-dried toppings and seasonings, have gained popularity, making it even easier to savor this traditional Japanese comfort food.