Donburi

"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.

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.

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

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.