Ochazuke is commonly served at the very end of an elaborate Japanese full course meal or as a midnight snack, a hangover cure, or just when you want something hot and filling. It’s commonly made with leftover rice and ready-made ochazuke packets that can be bought at the Japanese market.

Ochazuke

By Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Author, Nobu: The Cookbook

For 1 serving

3/4 cup of steamed rice

Hot green tea. Use green tea made from tea leaves. Genmai-cha, which has toasted brown rice in it, or Oolong tea would also work.

Toppings: basic ones are arare, tiny rice cracker pellets or crumbled rice crackers of another sort, and shredded nori seaweed. Optional: wasabi, pickled plum, salted salmon bits, mitsuba (a kind of herb), tiny semidried fish called jako, bonito flakes.

1. Put the rice in a bowl, put on the toppings, and add a bit of salt to taste. Pour over hot green tea.