Dec 12

Dec 12 Instant Chazuke

My Japanese comfort food obsession this winter.

The backstory

Although this winter has so far been warmer than usual in Minnesota, temps have been cold enough to have me craving chazuke - or ochazuke. Put simply, it’s rice in tea topped with savory seasoning. Food doesn’t get cozier than that.

Traditionally, chazuke is enjoyed as a light meal or at the end of a heavier meal as a final “make sure you’re full and fulfilled” finishing dish - my kind of dining. Growing up, mom made chazuke as a remedy food when we weren’t feeling great or as a way to turn leftover rice into another dinner. My favorite Hawaiian twist on this dish would be chazuke with fried poke - something we’d do when the poke was past its prime in the raw.

Lately, chazuke has been a go-to lunch that can be made in minutes and is v affordable. When you do the rough math, it’s basically a $1 lunch! It’s also a great way to limit food waste because any leftover rice or protein is perfect for this scrappy, yet satisfying, meal. We’ve gotten in the routine of doing Chinese takeout on Sundays and I save any extra rice for the week for chazuke lunch.

It just takes three simple ingredients to give you all the Japanese comfort food feels.

Try chazuke

There’s no recipe for this. All you need is a serving of cooked rice, usually around 1/2 cup, hot water and a pack of chazuke seasoning. This one is a staple in my mom’s pantry. We also love the ume flavor for a hint of tartness. Let it sit for a minute or two, especially if you’re using leftover rice from the fridge, and you’ve got a bowl of comfort ready to soothe. Itadakimasu.