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Rice is one of the most important and basic foods in Japan. The Japanese eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They pour soup over rice, add various toppings or wrap it cold in sushi. Preparing authentic Japanese rice is a science in itself! That's why the Japanese learn this art from childhood. For everyone else - who wasn't so lucky - we've put together a detailed guide on how to cook rice here:
Rice is incredibly versatile and diverse, filling and therefore often serves as a filling side dish. Here, however, we focus on those dishes where rice is an essential component of the main course – and there are a lot of them! They all have one thing in common: they are super delicious and guaranteed not to be boring!
Ongiri – the Japanese rice balls
What is the metwurst sandwich for the German is the Onigiri for the Japanese! The traditional rice balls are either filled with a variety of fillings, but can also consist only of rice. The rice is wrapped with a nori sheet (seaweed leaf), possibly filled and sometimes sprinkled with a special Japanese spice mix (Furikake).
Onigiri are a popular snack. They are often used in bento boxes, can be eaten as an appetizer, side dish or main course. Popular versions include Onigiri with salmon, tuna and ume plum, but tofu or cheese can also have their place in Onigiri!
Sushi – Highlight of Japanese Cuisine
The Japanese classic is of course also prepared with rice! Very important: To prepare authentic sushi, some rice vinegar is always added to the rice. Incidentally, there are significantly more sushi variations than we know in Europe.
Temaki-sushi is popular in Japan, for example, which is only rolled at the table and is therefore particularly popular at parties. This makes the meal not just about filling your stomach, but also serves as entertainment. But sushi is also available wrapped in wraps (sushi wraps are highly recommended). Temari-sushi, which is arranged in a round shape, is also exciting.
Donburis – Japanese and healthy fast food
These delicious bowls are a chapter in themselves! They consist of fluffy white rice, which is topped with various delicious toppings and a sauce. They are prepared in no time at all, incredibly healthy and very diverse. I have summarized some of my favorite Donburi recipes for you here. How about a Schnitzel Bowl (yes, you read that right!), a minced meat bowl or the most popular Donburi in Japan: The Gyodon?
Rice as a main act and side dish at the same time
There are actually dishes where rice serves both to fill you up and is a main component! A good example of this is "Kare Raisu", a Japanese curry. This consists of a creamy curry sauce with meat and vegetables, and is served with rice – very untypical for Japan on the same plate. "Hayashi Raisu", a beef stew that combines the best of European and Japanese cuisine, is also served over rice. And with "Omureisu", the rice is simply wrapped in a golden-yellow omelet. The most popular sauce for it: Ketchup!
Japanese comfort food: Fried rice
The Japanese, of course, have their own version of the Asian classic, which tastes a little different in every country. "Chahan" is ideal for using up leftovers if you want to use up rice or have small amounts of different vegetables in the refrigerator. Tip: Experiment with the ingredients and develop your own favorite version of fried rice!
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