Ochazuke is a simple Japanese dish which is usually made with fragrant green tea, rice, salted salmon, fresh spring onions, and nori, but it’s very customisable. It’s light, bright, and very easy to put together!
I love Ochazuke. I work a remotely, 9-5, so I have full access to my kitchen at all times – dangerous. When I’m feeling an afternoon slump coming on, I know what I’m making for lunch.
The caffeine in the green tea is great if you need a little pick me up and, as long as you have rice prepared, it’ll come together in about 15 minutes. The perfect WFH meal, right?
What is Ochazuke?
Ocha means “tea” and zuke is “submerged”. So Ochazuke kinda means “submerged in tea” but you can also make it with dashi stock, or my favourite – both!
Ochazuke is very versatile can be enjoyed as a light meal or a snack. It’s a great way to use up leftovers too.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any green tea you like but I love to use Genmaicha which is green tea with roasted rice – it’s deliciously fragrant and nutty.
This really depends on what you add to it, so you can easily customise it to your taste! If you like light flavoured dishes, stick to the green tea. If you want a deeper savouriness – add some dashi stock.
Ochazuke Toppings
You can add anything you like to Ochazuke, here are some of my favourite variations:
- Umeboshi, shiso and sesame seeds
- Smoked mackerel, spring onions and shio kombu
- Furikake, bonito flakes and poached egg
How to make Ochazuke
- Prepare the ingredients you want to top the rice with.
- Brew your favourite green tea.
- Re-heat some leftover rice, then pour in the green tea.
- Top with the ingredients you prepared earlier.
- Enjoy!
Ochazuke
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 150 g cooked rice
- 1 fillet of Japanese salted salmon
Broth/Seasonings
- 150-200 ml green tea
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- pinch dashi stock granules
- sesame seeds
- pinch of shio kombu (or dried seaweed)
- sliced spring onion
Instructions
- Use leftover rice to save time, if you're using freshly cooked rice, make sure to cook it before assembling.
- Cook the salted salmon and flake into smaller pieces once done.
- Brew the green tea to the packets instructions.
- If using leftovers, re-heat the rice and top it with the salted salmon. Pour the green tea over, then layer in the rest of the seasonings.
- Enjoy!
Want More Easy Japanese Recipes?
Japanese home cooking can be surprisingly easy. Check out my recipe for juicy Miso Chicken Thighs or this flavourful Shogayaki (Japanese Ginger Pork).
