Ochazuke is a simple, traditional Japanese dish made by pouring either hot water, dashi, or green tea over cooked rice, and I've never had it. But I do know I love soup over rice, a reminder for me that of how easy simple combinations can lead to great taste without a lot of hassle. My parents always make some sort of soup as part of their dinner preparation, something I envy tremendously given the extra steps it adds to an already busy schedule. (Seriously, who can take an hour to cook 3 dishes AND was the dishes after that? Not to mention taking the time to actually eat). But soup soaking up the rice and seeping the taste of the soup into the rice really hits the spot; I suspect that's the idea of ochazuke having never had it, to inject the blandness of rice (but it's very versatile! Can have it with almost anything) with something rich and flavorful. Recently working 12-hour days I've been at maximum-burn out and minimum-hassle mode, so getting something done quick in the kitchen has been essential especially during a pandemic. One easy dish MJ and I make is avocado with rice and teriyaki soy sauce, mix all 3 together and scarf down.
The Japanese often eat ochazuke with some sort of topping, like furikake, seaweed, salted salmon, etc. (something lightly salted is usually the idea). I'm also fine with just soy sauce and rice, but I find he subtlety of furikake and seaweed are good substitutes for the in-your-face punch of soy sauce (or worse, wasabi). Subtlety...is a new thing for me in my diet. Fish has been a great source of protein for me to cut out the heavy meats and the stigma of eating red meat but still getting the texture and wholesome feeling of meat, while Beyond Meat feels and looks the most like red meat while not even being in the same food group.
If I get anything out of this pandemic other than some relief from my waistline (amazing how a New York on-the-go diet of sandwiches, bagels, rice bowls, and pizza compares to cooking at home) it's the newfound ability to add things together, experiment, and find new, unexpected combos that work, like creating food chemistry (add the blue liquid with the red liquid and get a purple compound with bubbles!). Sometimes they don't work out, like broccoli with instant ramen mixture (who knew!) but I've surprised myself with some of the things I can find tasty: sweet potato with kimchi (actually a Korean staple food), peppers with sausages, cod with cauliflower (rolls off the tongue). Everything also tastes better with some sparking water to wash it down with (and just as effective to wash away the taste of anything bad).
That's probably how all food combinations including ochazuke started, with people trying new things and combinations.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
No comments:
Post a Comment