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    Donburi

    Donburi

    Inhaltsverzeichnis

    Comfort food for body and soul Donburi Guide: How to recognize the bowls How do you eat donburi in Japan? Classic Japanese recipe for gyudon recipe Traditional oyakodon recipe

    "The Bowl" – the literal translation of Donburi – may not sound particularly original, but Donburi is anything but ordinary. Discover the delicious forms a bowl of rice can take.

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    Comfort food for body and soul

    Rice with toppings? Nutritious, warming, quick, and delicious all at once. Plus, it's easy to eat: it's just a bowl. Japanese people thought of this concept during the Edo period (1603-1868) and served it to spectators of Noh theater performances. After two and a half hours of the show, guests would inevitably get hungry, and unlike in some other cultures, eating and drinking in the theater is not frowned upon in Japan even today.

    In the subsequent Meiji era (1868-1912), Donburi became a ubiquitous dish, especially when time was tight and the work was hard. The popular Donburi continued to evolve into a plethora of specialties – each region has its own recipes.

    However, Japan is not the only country that enjoys rice with piled-on toppings: In Korea, there's the popular Bibimbap, a spicier version of Donburi, where various leftovers are often prepared with chili paste and placed on top of rice. In the Philippines, a similar dish is simply known as Rice Toppings.

    Donburi Guide: How to recognize the bowls

    You can enjoy Donburi with almost anything you like: Tofu, vegetables, egg, caviar, fish, or meat – the latter ingredients play a particularly important role in this specialty. All these dishes carry the suffix Don 丼 – not to be confused with Udon, the thick noodles often found in soups – indicating what sits atop the rice. The rice often bears the abbreviated name of the ingredient. The following variations are popular Donburi dishes:

    • Unadon 鰻丼 for Eel – known as Unagi in Japan
    • Gyudon for Donburi with beef
    • Tamagodon 玉子丼 for scrambled eggs on rice
    • Even schnitzel is part of this specialty: This Donburi is called Katsudon カツ丼
    • Tempura on rice is called Tendon 天丼, short for Tempura Donburi
    • Butadon 豚丼 for the pork bowl
    • Donburi with chicken and egg has an interesting name: Oyakodon 親子丼 means "Parent and Child Don(buri)". Spring onions are also added
    • Tekkadon 鉄火丼 is Donburi with tuna
    • A bowl of Donburi with curry is called Karedon カレー丼
    • Teriyaki and rice go great together in Teriyakidon 照り焼き丼
    • You can also make Sashimi and other seafood on rice: Then you get the somewhat more expensive Kaisendon 海鮮丼
    • From Hokkaido comes the colorful Uni Ikura Donburi: Rice with sea urchin and caviar. What may sound unusual is especially served on the northern island during New Year's
    Soup bowls view in the store »

    How do you eat donburi in Japan?

    Another unique aspect of Donburi is the accompanying sauce, in which the ingredients are often simmered along with onions and other vegetables. The sauce typically consists of Dashi fish broth, soy sauce, and Mirin, sweet sake, and can vary depending on the ingredients, region, season, and, of course, the cook. Sugar and sake are also common additions. Finally, the dish is often crowned with a raw egg or mayonnaise.

    A very popular side dish for Donburi is Miso soup. Both dishes are eaten with chopsticks, even though it might seem unusual for rice – but in Japan, it's sticky enough to adhere well to the utensils. Using a spoon could disrupt its texture.

    Today, Donburi is an integral part of Japan's fast-food restaurants. You can order them at special machines: Visitors purchase a ticket and redeem it at the counter. In the kitchen, it is then prepared within a few minutes. Such a bowl typically costs an average of 500 yen (about 4 euros): a sum that leaves you more than satisfied. Some restaurant chains have made "fast food" Donburi their trademark: Yoshinoya, Tempura Tendon, Sukiya, and many others. Their colorful menus feature enticing photos of rice bowls.

    Donburi not only tastes good and fits into the short lunch break of office workers, but it can also bring luck: In Japanese, Katsu can also mean "win." That's why students often eat a bowl of Katsudon before important exams to achieve particularly good results. In Katsudon, alongside rice, Tonkatsu, specifically breaded pork, takes the lead.

    Classic Japanese recipe for gyudon

    Unagi Donburi – Unadon – with eel was the first form of the rice dish. Gyudon, known as the "Beef Bowl," is now, on the other hand, the most popular. Tender beef, sweet onions, and a savory sauce: Who can resist? Here's how you can cook the Japanese comfort food classic at home.

    No. of persons2 personsNo. of persons
    Preparation timeca. 30 minutes Preparation time
    Total Timeca. 45 minutesTotal Time
    Level of difficultyeasyLevel of difficulty
    Dishmain mealDish
    MeatMeat
    FishFish
    EggsEggs
    AlcoholAlcohol
    Kitchenware Kitchenware
    Pan , Rice cooking pot , Knife , Chopsticks , Bowl
    List of ingredients
    400g steamed round grain rice, e.g. for sushi
    340g thinly sliced beef
    1/2 onion
    2 spring onions
    120ml dashi fish stock (or vegetable stock)
    2 tbsp soy sauce
    2 tbsp mirin
    1 tbsp sake
    1 tbsp sugar
    2 eggs(optional)
    2 tbsp pickled ginger (optional, for serving)
    Kochende Miss Oryoki
    Cooking rice read in the magazine »
    Preparation
    Step 1

    First prepare the rice (we have instructions for perfect Japanese rice here) and divide it between the bowls. Make sure the beef is as thin as possible and cut into bite-sized pieces. Then thinly slice the onions and spring onions.

    Step 2

    Heat up a large pan, put it on a medium heat and add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. Cover the pan and bring the sauce to the boil briefly. Then fry the onions and spring onions in it until they are tender. Finally, add the meat. Let it simmer until it is brown. Beat the eggs and add them to the pan before mixing the meat, sauce and vegetables.

    Step 3

    The whole thing is then placed directly on the cooked rice. Garnish your gyudon with grated pickled ginger to taste. Your own donburi is ready!

    Step 4

    Like all donburi, there are various recipes for gyudon. In some, all the ingredients for the sauce, except dashi, are added later together with the meat, in others the onions are first steamed in oil and then sauced. Try out what you like best!

    Step 5

    Tip for vegetarian gyudon: If you prefer to avoid meat, simply replace the beef with tofu. Deep-fried Japanese tofu (aburaage) is particularly tasty and has its own sweet flavor. You can often find it in Asian markets. Otherwise, the white or smoked variety is also suitable - depending on your taste. Simply prepare in the same way in the sauce and enjoy.

    Cast iron rice pot Meshikko 3 Go. OIGEN (IH)
    Cast iron rice pot Meshikko 3 Go. OIGEN (IH)
    225,00 € *
    Rice pot Go, Iwachu, Ø 20 cm, cast iron
    Rice pot Go, Iwachu, Ø 20 cm, cast iron
    199,00 € *
    Rice cooking pot 3 cups, OIGEN
    Rice cooking pot 3 cups, OIGEN
    119,00 € *
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    Traditional oyakodon

    Oyakodon 親子丼 is one of the classic dishes of Japanese home cooking. Translated literally into German, Oyakodon means "Parent-Child Bowl," describing the ingredients chicken and egg, which are served together with rice in a bowl. It is one of the many variations of the Japanese rice bowl dish Donburi, where rice is filled into a bowl and covered with additional ingredients. In addition to the main ingredients rice, chicken, and egg, a different sauce is chosen depending on the region and season. Often, Dashi (fish broth) or Mirin (rice wine) are the bases on which the light or dark sauce is built. Those looking to enjoy traditional Oyakodon during a trip to Japan can often find it on the menu in soba restaurants or other traditional establishments.

    No. of persons1 portionNo. of persons
    Total Timeca. 20 minutesTotal Time
    Level of difficultyeasyLevel of difficulty
    Dishmain mealDish
    Calories700kcalCalories
    MeatMeat
    EggsEggs
    AlcoholAlcohol
    Kitchenware Kitchenware
    Pan , Cutting board , Knife , Chopsticks , Rice pot
    Oyakodon court
    List of ingredients
    150g Chicken meat
    2 cups rice
    2 eggs
    2 tbsp dashi or vegetable stock
    2 tbsp mirin
    2 tbsp soy sauce
    100ml water
    1 tbsp sugar
    1 tbsp sake
    1/2 piece onion
    Peas or spring onions for decoration
    Kochende Miss Oryoki
    Preparation
    Step 1

    Cook your rice in a rice cooker as usual. You can do this while preparing the toppings.

    Step 2

    Wash the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Halve an onion and cut it into semi-circular rings.

    Step 3

    Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them thoroughly. In another bowl, mix the mirin, sugar, soy sauce, sake, water, dashi and onions. Pour the mixture into a pan and cook over a medium heat for approx. 3-5 minutes.

    Step 4

    Now add the chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then turn the temperature down and leave to simmer for a while.

    Step 5

    Pour the beaten eggs slowly and evenly into the pan and allow the eggs to set at a low temperature. The cooking time of the egg and meat mixture varies depending on the desired degree of firmness.

    Step 6

    Pour the cooked rice into your bowl and top with the mixture. For decoration, you can add sliced spring onions or a handful of cooked peas. Whatever tastes good is allowed - bon appétit!

    Japanese recipes View recipe collection »
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