Japanese Kitchen
2021/3/11
We visit the southern island of Kyushu for our latest recipe. Fukuoka prefecture is known for its many ancient temples and shrines as well as modern shopping malls! The capital city Fukuoka lies on the northern shore of the island and is the fifth largest city in Japan. Famous especially for tonkotsu ramen, it is a must visit for food-lovers!
Kashiwa-meshi
Copyright: JNTO
by HIRASHIMA Iori
Telecomunications section
My hometown Fukuoka is known as “the Gateway to Asia” due to its geography and history. Many tourists visit Japan through Fukuoka airport, Kitakyushu airport and Hakata port every year.
The current era Reiwa was named after a poem which is said to have been composed at the gathering baika no en (Plum Blossom Banquet) in 730 in the city of Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture. The city has been always known for its beautiful plum flowers, which explains why it is the officially recognized prefectural flower of Fukuoka.
Apart from its historical significance, Fukuoka is also a city of gastronomy with a wide variety of delicious foods. When people in Japan are asked to name a dish that represents Fukuoka, the answer tends to be ramen, motsunabe, or mizutaki. It might come as a surprise, but in fact, udon is very popular for local people and its essential accompaniment is the kashiwa-meshi.
Kashiwa means chicken in Kyushu and in some parts of the western part of Honshu. Chicken has been eaten for a long time, which is the reason why kashiwa-meshi (chicken rice) was born. You can buy a rice ball or lunch box of kashiwa-meshi at supermarkets, but you can also make it at home easily.
There are differences in the ingredients, cooking method, and the seasonings at each home or restaurant, but it is basically cooking the ingredients and seasonings altogether with rice to let the flavours soak in, which makes it a very tasty dish!
Telecomunications section
My hometown Fukuoka is known as “the Gateway to Asia” due to its geography and history. Many tourists visit Japan through Fukuoka airport, Kitakyushu airport and Hakata port every year.
The current era Reiwa was named after a poem which is said to have been composed at the gathering baika no en (Plum Blossom Banquet) in 730 in the city of Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture. The city has been always known for its beautiful plum flowers, which explains why it is the officially recognized prefectural flower of Fukuoka.
Apart from its historical significance, Fukuoka is also a city of gastronomy with a wide variety of delicious foods. When people in Japan are asked to name a dish that represents Fukuoka, the answer tends to be ramen, motsunabe, or mizutaki. It might come as a surprise, but in fact, udon is very popular for local people and its essential accompaniment is the kashiwa-meshi.
Kashiwa means chicken in Kyushu and in some parts of the western part of Honshu. Chicken has been eaten for a long time, which is the reason why kashiwa-meshi (chicken rice) was born. You can buy a rice ball or lunch box of kashiwa-meshi at supermarkets, but you can also make it at home easily.
There are differences in the ingredients, cooking method, and the seasonings at each home or restaurant, but it is basically cooking the ingredients and seasonings altogether with rice to let the flavours soak in, which makes it a very tasty dish!
Kashiwa-meshi recipe
Ingredients (2 to 4)
- Rice 300g
- Chicken 150g
- Burdock 1
- Carrot 1/2
- Fried Tofu (Abura-age) 1 sheet
- Mushroom 2 to 3
- Soy sauce 2 Tbsp
- Sake for cooking 1 Tbsp
- Mirin 1 Tbsp
- Japanese stock 1 teaspoon
- sugar 1 teaspoon
Instructions
1. Wash and drain the rice. Leave it for one hour.
2. Cut chicken, fried tofu and mushroom into small pieces.
3. Cut a burdock and a carrot into strips.
4. Put oil in the pan and fry the cut ingredients.
5. When they are cooked, put all seasonings in the pan and keep them on medium heat.
6. When the soup has reduced by half, turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
7. Put the rice in another pot and pour about 430ml water and the soup. Put the other ingredients on top of the rice.
8. Steam them over medium heat with a lid on. Keep the medium heat.
9. When it is boiled, turn into the low heat and cook for about 15 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat and leave it to steam with the lid on for about 15 minutes.
11. Mix it well and ready to serve!
