Rice Dishes in East Asia

Sushi is Japan's most famous culinary representative, typically made with rice and fillings which have been rolled inside a sheet of dry seaweed. However, the term sushi is actually an umbrella term covering a wide range of subvarieties w... READ MORE

Moist, chewy, and hearty, onigiri or omusubi are Japanese rice balls and a favorite picnic food since the 11th century, when they were known as tonjiki and recorded as such in the diary of Lady Murasaki, author of The Tale of Genji READ MORE

Bibim means mixed, and bap means cooked rice, so bibimbap is literally mixed rice. The rice is combined with a variety of ingredients such as sliced beef, namul (sliced vegetables), soy sauce, gochujang... READ MORE

Nigiri or nigirizushi is a special kind of hand-pressed sushi where the meat is sliced and pressed on top of sushi rice. It was developed in Tokyo (then called Edo) during the 1800s. Sometimes, nori seaweed is used to wrap the whole concoction and... READ MORE

Often referred to as Korean sushi, gimbap is a Korean dish consisting of seaweed (gim), seasoned rice (bap), and other, optional ingredients that are usually rolled, sliced, and served. Almost anything can be added to th... READ MORE

Tteokbokki is a spicy stir-fried dish that usually consists of cylinder-shaped rice cakes, sweet red chili sauce, and fish cakes. It is considered to be one of the top street food items in Korea, and can usually be bought from street vendors known... READ MORE

Tteok are traditional Korean rice cakes that are prepared with glutinous or non-glutinous rice. The cakes are incredibly versatile, and although they are mostly sweet and enjoyed as a dessert, some plain varieties can be incorporated into savory d... READ MORE

Makizushi, meaning rolled sushi, is probably the most famous sushi variety. Invented in the 18th century, this type of sushi consists of nori, a sheet of dried seaweed, which is topped with a layer of vinegared rice. A variety of... READ MORE

Gyūdon is one of the most popular and inexpensive fast food dishes in Japan. Its name can be literally translated to beef bowl. The dish consists of beef and onions served over a bowl of rice. Beef and onions are cooked in a combination o... READ MORE

Omurice is a short form of omelet and rice, the two essential ingredients of this Japanese fusion dish. The rice is usually pan-fried together with chicken and ketchup, then wrapped in a thin omelet sheet. Finally, the dish is generously covered w... READ MORE

Japanese curry is an extremely popular dish throughout Japan. Since the curry is almost always served with rice, one can hear the term karē raisu mentioned very often. Curry was brought over to Japan by the British in the 19th century, wh... READ MORE

Oyakodon is a poetically named dish meaning father and child, referring to the fact that both the chicken and the egg are used in the dish. It consists of a bowl of white rice that is topped with chicken, eggs, and chopped scallions. The ... READ MORE

In Japan, kayu or okayu rice porridge is the equivalent of chicken soup in times of sickness, a common remedy for colds and fever. It is a simple dish consisting of easily digestible soft rice and water. The rice is often cooked in dashi stock or ... READ MORE

A delicious combination of tempura and donburi - hence the name tendon - this classic Japanese one-bowl meal consists of battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables laid over freshly steamed rice. The most popular ingredients for tendon include ... READ MORE

Katsudon is a type of donburi, meaning it's a rice dish served in a bowl topped with simmered ingredients. In this case, the topping is another Japanese favorite — tonkatsu — a deep-fried and crumbed pork cutlet, but ... READ MORE

Temaki is a hand-rolled type of sushi characterized by its conical shape. The dish consists of rice, raw fish, and vegetables wrapped in a piece of nori seaweed. Due to the ease of preparation, temaki is most commonly made at home, and is somewhat... READ MORE

One of the most popular fresh seafood one-bowl donburi dishes, kaisendon consists of thinly sliced, assorted raw seafood called sashimi laid over freshly steamed rice. What kind of sashimi will be used in a kaisendon dish is not ... READ MORE

Yangzhou fried rice is a Chinese dish consisting of rice, eggs, and vegetables such as carrots, mushrooms, peas, while the common additions also include shrimps, meat, scallions, and Chinese ham. Traditional versions sometimes may incorporate sea ... READ MORE

Futomaki is a variety of rolled sushi that is characterized by its large size and a strict balance of used ingredients. The rolls are typically filled with vegetables of different colors, and usually don't contain seafood. Futomaki should be both ... READ MORE

Falling in the broad category of hosomaki sushi, tekkamaki rolls are one of the most common sushi varieties. Nori sheets, sushi rice, and raw tuna are the three essential tekkamaki ingredients. Nori, the pressed and dried seaweed... READ MORE

One of the most popular makizushi varieties are the thin hosomaki rolls. They consist of traditional roasted nori sheets that are layered with vinegar rice, filled with just one ingredient, then shaped into thin rolls. Even though they ap... READ MORE

Kamameshi or kettle rice refers to a meal that is both cooked and served in a special cast iron pot called kama; hence the name. This traditional Japanese rice dish is prepared by simply steaming the rice with various kinds of me... READ MORE

Inarizushi is a unique sushi variety which consists of chewy tofu pockets filled with fragrant sushi rice. Aburaage, the tofu skins which have been fried to form hollow products are used as containers which hold the rice together. Mild in... READ MORE

Chirashizushi is one of the most common sushi varieties prepared in Japanese households. This unusual version (often referred to as scattered sushi) consists of a bowl of sushi rice complemented with a wide group of ingredients that are e... READ MORE

Maguro nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of tuna. Different cuts of tuna are classified as otoro (fatty), chutoro (medium-fatty), and akamiREAD MORE

Kappamaki is one of the most common sushi varieties consisting of nori seaweed, vinegar-flavored sushi rice, and sliced cucumbers, preferably thin and seedless Japanese cucumbers. This sushi variety belongs to the wide group of makizushi (rolled s... READ MORE

Sake nigiri sushi is a Japanese type of nigiri sushi, with origins in Norway. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of salmon. The dish has a soft texture and a clean finish that makes it good for sushi newcomers, althou... READ MORE

Ebi nigiri is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with butterflied shrimp. Any large shrimp will do, but kuruma ebi (Penaeus japonica) is said to be the best. The shrimp is skewered, boiled, chi... READ MORE

Lotus leaf rice (lo mai gai or nor mai gai) is a classic Chinese dish consisting of sticky rice wrapped and steamed in lotus leaves. The rice is usually soaked, seasoned with various condiments and spices, and blended with additi... READ MORE

Tamago kake gohan is a Japanese dish consisting of cooked rice that is topped with a raw egg. Even though the dish is so simple that some people don't consider its preparation an act of cooking, today there are numerous restaurants in Japan which ... READ MORE

Kimchi bokkeumbap is a simple South Korean dish made with a combination of fried rice and kimchi. It is considered to be a great way to use leftover kimchi. The dish can also be enriched with additional ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and so... READ MORE

Gunkanmaki is a sushi variety that consists of sushi rice that is formed into an oval shape and is then wrapped with nori seaweed. The piece is finished off with a topping that traditionally includes fish roe such as ikura (salmo... READ MORE

Unagi nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of freshwater eel that's usually cooked. The dish has a soft texture and a mild flavor. If desired, the eel can be lightly s... READ MORE

Samgak is a triangle-shaped variety of gimbap—South Korean rice roll. It consists of various fillings that are neatly placed inside a piece of triangle-shaped rice. The pouches are then wrapped in seaweed (gim) and are typically add... READ MORE

Ikura sushi is a common name for a type of gunkanmaki topped with ikura—plump orbs of salmon roe. Ikura is usually marinated in soy sauce, and the sushi is assembled by wrapping nori seaweed around a ball of sushi rice. The combinat... READ MORE

Tamago nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with a slice of egg omelet. The dish has a sweet flavor with a clean finish because the eggs are cooked with dashi and sugar. The textu... READ MORE

Injeolmi are traditional South Korean steamed rice cakes. They are prepared by steaming and pounding rice into a pliable dough which is then rolled and generously dusted with roasted soybean powder. The varieties include ssuk injeolmi, wh... READ MORE

Originating from the middle Edo era, when green tea and bancha rose in popularity, chazuke is a simple dish made by pouring hot green tea over rice and numerous toppings. The usual toppings include a variety of pickled vegetables and seaweed. In s... READ MORE

This pressed sushi variety consist of a sushi rice base that is topped with marinated mackerel fillet, which is typically covered with a thin, delicate layer of kelp. Unlike other pressed sushi varieties, saba zushi is not made in traditional wood... READ MORE

This gimbap (Korean rice roll) is made with canned tuna. Apart from rice and fish, the fillings may include other ingredients that are typically used in gimbap such as fresh or pickled vegetables, eggs, or fish cakes, while the tuna is of... READ MORE

Kiritanpo is a traditional dish with origins in the Akita prefecture. It is made from cooked, half-smashed rice that is placed on a skewer, shaped into cylinders, then toasted over an open fire. The dish is traditionally consumed from autumn to sp... READ MORE

Butadon is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice that is topped with sliced fatty pork cooked in a slightly sweet soy sauce. Other common toppings include green peas and onions. The name butadon is derived from two words – butaREAD MORE