Jasmine Tea Ochazuke

this ochazuke (aka rice with tea) is a jasmine tea ochazuke. it's just as delicious in the summer at room temp as it is in the winter steaming hot!

i've been feeling a little antsy recently. maybe because some of my close friends have been travelling a lot, maybe because i'm remembering how much i traveled last year (4 pretty big trips out of the state/country, along with plenty of criss-crossing california), maybe because it's all sunny and warm and bright when i get home after work instead of pitch black. so i've been planning - a weekend trip to denver (!), a visit to a local amusement park that i've conveniently forgotten in favor of the shinier (and pricier) disneyland, a buttery, crispy, decadent lobster roll at oracle park a sf giants game.

of course i can't (and shouldn't) subsist off of these mini blips of excitement to come, so i'm bolstering my summer with plenty of podcast walks (somehow managed to walk 5 miles last tuesday with "tips"/anecdotal tangents from some of my internet faves to keep me company), a handful of volunteer hours at the food bank and movies. aladdin was surprisingly entertaining, mostly because of the sets/costumes/dancing, and i finally got around to end game. although i'm that person who was confused about why tony stark was wounded and stuck on another planet at the beginning because i don't remember infinity war well enough. also that person who hasn't seen captain marvel, nor either of the guardians movies. whoops.

also drinking plenty of tea, except here! where i decided to turn the tea into a jasmine tea ochazuke, or tea rice. you pour some tea over rice and toppings, and the rice stays very separate texture-wise from the tea, which i like. this isn't a porridge or jook situation, which is good, because i don't like mush. this version pictured has bacon, zucchini and takuan (pickled daikon radish), and i've definitely done it with steamed cabbage, fresh cherry tomatoes, and pickled ginger. which was in my original set of pictures that i was dumb enough to delete, but that's okay. more jasmine tea ochazuke for me. if you want to emulate this samovar version, hot smoked salmon is a+. it's so buttery, and makes the ochazuke feel like a treat.

i'm posting this in the summer because it's pretty great at room temp (maybe not cold, since cold rice = hard rice in my mind). it's also toasty and cozy for winter if you serve it hot, so it's delicious all year round.

1 year ago: roasted tomato crostini with feta dijon spread | tiramisu layer cake
2 years ago: beef rice bowls with sesame cabbage slaw | chocolate hi hat cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream
4 years ago: west coast brownies
5 years ago: thomas keller's chocolate chip cookies

5 from 3 votes

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Jasmine Tea Ochazuke

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This jasmine tea ochazuke can be super cozy if you serve it steaming hot, but it’s also delicious in the summer at room temperature.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Keyword: asian, bacon, brown rice, dairy-free, egg-free, green tea, japanese, jasmine tea, nut-free, pickles, rice, rice bowl, takuan, tea, zucchini

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 548 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon
• 2 zucchini sliced
• ⅓ cup brown rice cooked
• ¼ cup sliced takuan
• ½ tablespoon furikake
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons jasmine green tea leaves
• ½ teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and let the excess fat drain.
2. Drain off any fat from the skillet into a bowl (it's fine if there's still a slick on the pan), then place over medium heat. Add the zucchini, season with salt, and saute until slightly browned and tender, 5-10 minutes.
3. Let the tea leaves steep in 1 cup of hot water for 5 minutes, then strain out the leaves and mix the soy sauce into the tea.
4. Place the rice in a bowl, then top with the bacon, zucchini and takuan. Pour the tea over everything. Serve hot or room temperature.

other delicious rice things

kimchi rice bowls with jammy eggs