Name: How To Make Ochazuke (Japanese Rice Tea Soup)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 Salmon Fillet (about 70g); 100 g Steamed Rice; 150 ml Dashi Soup Stock; Pinch of Salt; 2 Shiso Leaves; Shredded Nori Seaweed, as needed

How To Make Ochazuke (Japanese Rice Tea Soup)

Breakfast Customizable Easy Dashi Green Tea Main Dish Rice Seafood Snack Under 30 Minutes

Ochazuke (Chazuke) is a dish where green tea (Ocha or Cha) is poured over steamed rice with various ingredients. This Japanese fast food can serve as a quick breakfast, light lunch, or a late-night snack.

Ochazuke originated during the Heian period when hot water was poured over rice to warm chilled rice, known as "Yu-zuke." This practice evolved during the Edo period with the popularity of green tea, replacing hot water and becoming the mainstream green tea Ochazuke. While the green tea version remains popular, Dashi-chazuke made with Japanese Dashi soup stock is gaining popularity.

In this recipe, we introduce Ochazuke made with Japanese Dashi soup stock. The elegant flavor of Dashi complements the ingredients and toppings, adding a delicate layer of flavor.

We use grilled salmon as a main ingredient, a popular choice for Ochazuke, and top it with Shiso leaves and Nori seaweed to enhance the overall taste.

Before presenting our recipe, here is a list of common main ingredients used in Ochazuke and popular toppings:

Ingredients:

Grilled salmon
Umeboshi (pickled plum)
Mentaiko (spicy pollack roe)
Seasoned Kombu seaweed
Marinated seabream sashimi

Toppings:

Combine these ingredients and toppings according to your preference.

While Ochazuke appears simple, it offers a variety of flavors with diverse ingredients and toppings. In Japan, Ochazuke specialty shops are increasingly popular, offering authentic and creative Ochazuke dishes. Explore these examples for creative inspiration.

Enjoy making your own Ochazuke at home, and feel free to share your feedback with us below.

Overview

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Total servings: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 Salmon Fillet (about 70g)
100 g Steamed Rice
150 ml Dashi Soup Stock
Pinch of Salt
2 Shiso Leaves
Shredded Nori Seaweed, as needed

Expert's Tip

P-1-NGT-CHA-DS-8-Nagatanien Dashi Chazuke 8 Servings.jpg

This is a convenient option for making Ochazuke at home. Simply sprinkle one package over steamed rice and pour hot water to enjoy flavorful Dashi Chazuke. The package already contains dried ingredients and toppings, making it perfect for busy times. Keeping a package on hand will satisfy your hunger in the future.

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients together.

2) Slicing the Shiso Leaves

Slice the Shiso leaves into julienne strips.

3) Grilling the Salmon Fillet

Grill the salmon fillet until cooked.

4) Shredding the Cooked Salmon

Remove the skin and bones from the grilled salmon. Separate the salmon meat into flakes.

5) Heating the Dashi Soup Stock

Prepare a small pot and pour in Dashi soup stock. Heat it over medium heat. Once it boils, add salt and dissolve it well.

Tip: check out our dashi recipe.

1 / 3

6) Arranging the Ochazuke

Prepare a bowl and place the steamed rice at the bottom. Then add the grilled salmon flakes, Nori seaweed, and Shiso.

Pour the Dashi soup stock over the ingredients (step 5).

7) Pouring Dashi Over the Rice

Enjoy the ochazuke as quickly as possible, as the steamed rice will absorb the Dashi soup stock and the texture will change.

Tip: you can replace the dashi with green tea if you'd like.

About the author

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

View articles by Megumi Moriya