June 8, 2011

Dish 4 Inspired by Shinya Shokudo/深夜食堂をヒントに作った料理4

Episode 19, Ochazuke, in Volume 2 (episode 3 of TV drama)
第二巻の第19話(テレビドラマの第三話)「お茶漬け」

I don't have much to talk about ochazuke. I do like green tea, but for no particular reasons, I don't like to have green tea with rice. For me, green tea is a refreshing drink after a meal or during working time.
私自身は、お茶漬けについてはあまり語ることはありません。緑茶は大好きですが、何故か、緑茶とご飯と一緒に摂るのは好きではありません。私にとっては緑茶は食後や仕事中の、さわやかな飲み物です。

That being said, I like the ochazuke series from Nagatanien. I used to have them a lot when I was small.
Images of Nagatanien ochazuke
とは言うものの、永谷園のお茶漬けシリーズは好きです。小さい頃はよく食べていました。
永谷園 お茶漬けの画像

Now I don't have them as much, but my daughter likes them and often has them for breakfast.
今ではそれ程食べませんが、娘が好きで、朝食によく食べます。

When she says she wants to have ochazuke for breakfast, I ask her which one she likes to have. This morning, she replied, "The normal one."
Left: Ochazuke nori ("the normal one")
Right: Sake (salmon) chazuke

娘が朝食にお茶漬けを食べたいと言うと、どっちを食べたいか、たずねます。今朝は、「普通の」と娘は答えました。
左: お茶づけ海苔(「普通の」)
右: さけ茶づけ

28 comments:

fred said...

Nagatanien... seems like an instant ochazuke...
Is it using other seasonings like salt, dashi, or shoyu besides green tea?
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Hiroyuki said...

fred: Yes, instant. Click the 3rd photo, and you can see the ingredient label:
Seasoned granules (salt, sugar, matcha, kombu powder), arare (a type of ririce cracker), nori, seasonings (amino acids, etc.)

fred said...

So, I was wrong back then... Just pouring sencha to the rice bowl, it surely tasteless!(笑)
Gonna try it again later...

thankyou!!
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Hiroyuki said...

fred: You were not wrong! Ochazuke is simply a combination of rice + umami component(s) + tea.
I hope you find the umami components suited to your palate!

Sissi said...

Hiroyuki, I still haven't convinced myself to try ochazuke. Somehow, I am afraid the green tea with rice will not be very tasty (although the toppings look delicious). On the other hand, I have made at once the "cat food", I was sure I would love it and I did!
I enjoyed a lot the ochazuke episode!

fred said...

For this ochazuke you means "umami component" must be the toppings, right?

Salted fish should be okay, I think...
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Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: You are like me! The reason why I like the instant ochazuke is that the flavor of green tea is not noticeable.
If you are like me, you may like a combination of houjicha (roasted green tea) + rice + toppings. Houjicha is very aromatic!

Hiroyuki said...

fred: Yes, toppings! Somehow, I didn't come up with the right word (laugh).

Yes, salted fish alone should be enough, umeboshi alone should be enough, etc., but other toppings like nori and katsuobushi provide additional flavor!

Kiki said...

Found a recipe for ochazuke:
Genmaicha tea, rice, toasted nori cut in fine stripes, black sesame seeds, instant dashi, small pieces of cooked kombu, ricecracker, salt - sounds good for me. A cup of common green tea with rice only is something I am not going to eat. Sadly the weather is not convenient to sun dry mackarel (rain, rain, rain). Did you set up your rice bran pickling bead? I checked local prices for rice bran: 500g (brown) rice bran for 7.45 € (or $) available in pharmacies or 10 kg for less but restricted as horse food. I don't trust the horse food or should I? Expensive...

fred said...

Lucky, I still have a lot of low-grade sencha that almost never been used. I should not make it waste now!(笑)
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Sissi said...

Hiroyuki, thank you for the roasted green tea idea. I have never bought it (I remember you have already said you liked it). A very small Japanese fast food and grocer 100m from my house makes 30% off on all the grocery. I should go once more tomorrow and see if they have this tea. I know another one, a bit further, which sells it, but I want to profit from the special price (I have already spent a fortune there today). On the other hand it's really sad, because it means people are afraid to buy Japanese products... (And not afraid of buying antibiotics-stuffed huge chickens; I will never understand the majority of the consumers). (sigh)
Sorry for this moaning. It must be the weather.

Fabian said...

Oh, I just love your blog.
It always inspires me to try some new dishes.
Last time Neko Manma - next time Ochazuke, for sure.
Well, they are not really new for me, since I have tried them in Japan and prepared back in Germany, several times. But you just make me starving for these dishes :-D
One question: I'm so addicted to Shinya Shokudo, that I have watched all the episodes within a few days.
Can you recommend me some other series, which have the same setting/topic (that is, Japanese food :-D)?!

Keep up the great work!

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: Genmaicha sounds good, but it's still a type of green tea.

I hope you keep your room ventilated in some way or other to make aji no hiraki successfully!

Yes, I have already made the pickling bed. Will post about it in the near future.

Hiroyuki said...

fred: Do you know how to make houjicha?
Here is one site explaining how to make it:
http://hojicha.japanese-green-tea.org/29/
(Japanese only)

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: I feel sorry for the grocery..., but I must say you are lucky (laugh)!

Hiroyuki said...

Fabian: Thanks for your compliment!

Have you checked out this post:
http://hiro-shio.blogspot.com/2011/04/list-of-food-related-tv-dramas.html
I like Shinya Shokudo, Osen, Kuitan, etc., etc.!

fred said...

wow, thanks!
I just know that's perfect to make houjicha from my old-leaves green tea!!
I'll try to make it today!
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fred said...

I've made it!
Homemade Houjicha.
http://tinyurl.com/5s2kpex

Taste likely Genmaicha for me, but my Houjicha far more light. Has very fragrance aroma! especially when roasting.
I remember a little difference from market-sold Houjicha I had taste.
That should be the roasting time just not right!
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Hiroyuki said...

fred: Good for you! Looks very good indeed! I wish I could make houjicha myself, but I have kukicha (stalk tea) only in my house, and I don't think I can make good houjicha from it...

And, yes, I really like the aroma from the green tea as it is roasted.

fred said...

Thanks!
anyway, this is the comparison photo I took.
After-Before
http://tinyurl.com/5wp3u6p
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For me, Kukicha just best to drink as it is!(*´▽`*)
do you think so?(笑)
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Anonymous said...

Wow - thank you so much - I will check out all of them :-D

Fabian said...

Ah, forgot to write my name - the last post is not from "Anonymous", but me, Fabian - so it relates to the food series :-)

Hiroyuki said...

fred: I found houjicha made from kukicha:
http://teaat10.ankodango.com/2009/06/rakuzan_090627.html
I'm thinking of using my kukicha to make houjicha...

fred said...

Kagurazaka Meicha seems really good! the liquor color (3rd picture) indeed very nice.
I even can't imagine the taste with fine tea stalks!(笑)
>「立派な茎がいっぱいなり~!」
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For roasting, I still can't advice the best temperature to use. But in appearance, store-bought Houjicha most likely sun-dried tea leaves. So, it may be roasted with very low temperature.
My roasting yesterday was using high temperature, instead produced bad color liquor (red-coppery, like over-heat/burned brewed black tea).
I'll try to do it again today, will be back to report soon!!
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Hiroyuki said...

fred: I found some tips from:
http://ootaen.cocolog-wbs.com/1/2010/12/post-f5db.html
and
http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/katayamaen/make_houji/make1.html
In short,
1. Don't use a frying pan because of the oil smell, but use a special pot called a "houjiki" or a pot with a single handle.
2. Sencha and kukicha are OK, but konacha (powder tea), mecha (sprout tea), and genmaicha are no good.
3. Roast only a small amount (1 or 2 servings) at a time, and don't over-roast.

fred said...

I've done it again, a lot better!! The liquor color just right this time!
left: made from kiwami sencha,
right: made from cheap sencha.

http://tinyurl.com/3g9bl5t

(sorry for bad image quality!, my last upload seems not working, so I decide to upload at picasa)
-
The taste just nearly same between these two! (kiwami sencha a little bitter)
Just as on the page you've mentioned before says; it's better to make houjicha from expired or cheap sencha.(笑)
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So, I was right when using low-heat & small amount of serving! Unfortunately, I don't have any clay pot like houjiki for cooking. It's uncommon here...
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Hiroyuki said...

fred: Thanks for a report! I didn't have time to give my kukicha a try today, so I will do so tomorrow.
Thanks to your suggestions, I think I'll make good houjicha! (laugh)

fred said...

Good luck, master!!(笑)
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