One of the most frequent questions I receive from people who prepare Japanese dishes at home is a variation of “Do I have to make rice?”
In certain instances, it is about eating fewer carbohydrates; in other cases, people think plain white rice appears to be dull, boring, or uninteresting. That is a completely acceptable question, however if you have attempted to eliminate rice, you will have experienced two things:
- the other courses you prepared taste very salty, and
- a subtle feeling that something is missing from your dining experience.
The two items mentioned above have the same root cause. The way Japanese dishes are designed does not allow for isolation. In other words, the dishes are designed to be enjoyed with rice.
Japanese people refer to this combination as ichiju-sansai (literally “one soup, three sides”). Rice is not counted as one of the three sides when we speak about ichiju-sansai.
If you go to a Japanese restaurant and order a bowl of rice and prefer to pour soy sauce over it, people will probably stare at you. You will also find a lot of posts on TikTok that talk about this, and yes, it is a violation of table manners; however, the real reason has to do with structure. The way the accompanying dishes are prepared has enough sodium to compensate for the lack of sodium in your rice.
Traditionally, the term “okazu” has been defined as a side dish, however that doesn’t do full justice to the scope of the word. “
Okazu” refers to cooked or prepared foods served alongside rice. Also, the word “gohan,” literally “cooked rice,” is used to refer to all meals.
So how did it happen that rice became the center of dining?
Historically, rice has been the foundation of the economy in Japan. Land was measured in koku — one person’s yearly worth of rice — samurai were paid in koku, and taxes were collected in koku. Everything about this social structure revolved around rice.
The same goes for everything else on your plate — each dish adds to the flavor of your rice.
Japan has a very rich culture of pickling vegetables, known as tsukemono, which differs from the West. In contrast to the mild flavor profile of pickles typical in the West, tsukemono have a much stronger, salty, and tangy profile. The contrast between the different tsukemono and the rice creates a harmonious flavor combination.
Another huge part of an authentic Japanese breakfast is shiojake, or salt-cured salmon. Shiojake is allowed to cure for long periods of time, so the salt level is high and the fish is only served in small amounts to season a number of bites of plain rice. The taste is nothing like grilled salmon, but the combination of shiojake with rice creates a wonderful contrast while you chew.
I liken shiojake to anchovies or mayonnaise. Even though you probably wouldn’t eat either of these products straight out of the container, there are ways to incorporate them into your cooking. Adding a few pieces of anchovy to your pizza, spreading mayo on your sandwich, or blending one of the two into a sauce adds depth to each dish and creates balance.
Another part of the beauty of using okazu is that when you have a few different ones to work with, they can create a new picture every time you take a bite. The different textures, tastes, and flavors allow you to experiment and create a new experience with each meal.
In addition, prepared okazu will typically last for days or even weeks, so they work great for meal prep. If you’re making okazu from black cod and sake lees, or simmering kabocha squash in dashi, you can be assured that the okazu will hold up and still be delicious. Once you establish a stock of okazu in your refrigerator, the only thing left to prepare for your meal is the rice and perhaps a quick bowl of miso soup. That way, the traditional Japanese ichiju-sansai meal can easily become an everyday staple.
The principles of the ichiju-sansai structure can also be found outside of traditional Japanese cooking, and rice or another grain isn’t required to serve as the base. Barley pilaf, creamy grits, baked sweet potato, or slices of crusty bread all work.
Start with a piece of protein such as roasted chicken thighs, add a slaw of pickled cabbage, and add a side of broth. It’s the same idea as ichiju-sansai, but in a completely different cuisine.
Once you recognize the basic architecture of this concept, it becomes incredibly easy to apply it to whatever is in front of you.
