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If you tell your friends that you ate Ochazuke for lunch, you’re basically saying you didn’t have anything on hand to eat or didn’t want to cook. However, even though it’s very simple, Ochazuke can still be very tasty. In Japan, you can buy instant Ochazuke seasoning packets, which are actually pretty good once in a while. They have rice crackers, seaweed, and a lot of salty seasonings. The instant seasonings are very convenient to have sometimes, but you might not want to eat that everyday because they contain MSG. At the other end of the spectrum, there are more elaborate Ochazuke styles using expensive seafood and Dashi stock that you eat at upscale restaurants.

What we made here is very easy, and most of the ingredients are in a typical Japanese pantry. If you don’t have some of the ingredients, substitute or omit them. We recommend you do use Salmon Flakes, pickled plum, or something salty though, because you may find there is not much taste from just the green tea.

Ochazuke is good when you don’t have much appetite too. There is nothing hard to digest in the ingredients. It can be great to eat after holidays or parties. Let your tummy rest from big feasts, and have some mild but tasty Ochazuke!









