No matter how diverse food becomes, no matter how many extravagant restaurants we discover, the "comforting taste" will always remain.
For example, ochazuke.
Leftover side dishes, chopped pickles, dried foods found in the pantry... It doesn't matter what, just put something easy to use on top of rice and pour tea over it. The process from when you think of it to when you pick up your chopsticks is incredibly simple, but as you dig into it, you can't help but sigh and mutter to yourself, "Phew." These flavors somehow warm the depths of our hearts, and I'm sure we'll never be able to part with them again.
When you get hungry in the middle of the night, or when you just don't have an appetite. Because it tastes good no matter what you use, I want to carefully choose the tea and ingredients to make my own cup of tea. I'm going to try to find the ultimate comforting happiness.
Carefully selecting tea leaves
Ochazuke is said to have originated in the mid-Edo period, so it's mind-boggling to imagine how many different variations have been created by how many different people during that time. Although it's nowhere near that variety, to enjoy ochazuke even more, it's important to pay attention to the choice of tea. It may seem like a given, but the choice of tea leaves is key to greatly affecting the taste of ochazuke. The type of tea leaves used seems to vary greatly depending on the region and the household.
Sencha tea rice
If you want to make ochazuke like you would in a stylish small restaurant, choose sencha. The refreshing aroma and sharp bitterness create a clean-cut cup. Because of its delicate flavor, this tea goes well with simple ingredients such as pickled plums and pickles.
Hakugendo's "Organic Sencha Yabukita" is made using tea leaves from a tea farm in Miyazaki Prefecture that has been in operation for over 100 years, and is characterized by its mild, mild taste. The sharp saltiness of the pickled plums is gently enveloped by the sencha tea, creating a granular taste of ochazuke.
Hojicha tea rice
If you want a more casual ochazuke, then hojicha is the way to go. The fragrant aroma and flavor of roasted tea leaves will bring back memories. It also goes great with strong-flavored foods and fried foods. How about adding some leftover tempura to make tenchazuke?
We also chose Hakugendo tea. "Miyazaki Organic Hojicha" has a fragrant yet slightly sweet taste, making it a more comforting flavor. If you add vegetable tempura, it will harmonize with the various flavors of the ingredients to create an exquisite ochazuke.
Brown rice tea ochazuke
Genmaicha tea ochazuke is the most fragrant. The complex taste and aroma of the brown rice and tea leaves. That alone makes for a deep and delicious cup of tea. It is best paired with ingredients that have a strong umami flavor. Topping it with salt-grilled fish or sake lees pickles will create a truly soothing flavor.
Te to Te sells powdered Genmaicha tea. It is a product of NODOKA, a brand founded in Brooklyn, New York that specializes in organic Japanese tea powder, and the brown rice is made from domestically grown organic rice. Compared to regular genmaicha tea, the tea leaves are a vivid green and have a fragrant yet refreshing finish.
Add powdered tea to soup stock for a simple ochazuke
The convenience of powdered tea is that all you have to do is sprinkle it on top of rice and pour in hot water. Add your favorite ingredients and your simple ochazuke is ready in no time. You only have to wash one bowl, so it's easy to make, yet the flavor is rich, which is great.
For an even more delicious cup of tea, we recommend dissolving powdered tea in the dashi. In a true "dashi chazuke" made by mixing dashi and tea, the flavor of the tea will dissolve into the dashi and seep deeply into your body.
It's also a good idea to save a few slices of sashimi from dinner for ochazuke. Sea bream ochazuke is also easy to make.
Because ochazuke is a comforting dish that tastes delicious no matter what you use, you'll want to carefully choose your tea and ingredients to create a cup that's just your own.
Enjoy making your own ochazuke.