Ochazuke [お茶漬け]

Ochazuke [ちゃつけ or お茶漬け] is another Japanese dish which is a bit strange but actually quite good. It's basically a bold of rice with some added condiments, such as; seaweed strips, puffed rice (just like rice crispies) and some salts with green tea (or soup stock) poured over it. When it was first described to me, by a group of very enthusiastic Japanese people who were all saying it was very tasty and good for lining the stomach for long drinking sessions* or for breakfast, I was NOT convinced. Green tea? on rice? errr no. That's just weird. No. I said 'no' many times...but they were insistent and were so convinced that I should try it they went and bought it for me.

They bought me a pack of Ochatsuke (pah - when you pronounce tsu it kinda sounds like zu here) sachets. The lazy persons (or fool proof) version - where you sprinkle the contents of the sachet on to some plain rice then pour on hot water. The sachet contains freeze-dried green tea so you don't miss out on the green tea.

It was very tasty - and kind of reminded me of congee (rice porriage zhou1 粥)　[おかゆ or お粥] but with nicer salts. So, the idea of green tea in my rice no longer reviles me (but I think MSG was involved...sneaky!)

*Apparently, it was/is sold commonly in Isakayas - the Japanese drinking establishment and the closest thing it has to the British Pub (a traditional pub mind...the kind that would sell good pub grub) but Isakayas sell more tapas like stuff. Small dishes where people nab the stuff they want to eat.