Matcha Rice and Pickles
March 21st, 2008 Posted in Cooking ideas
After making a luscious cup of frothy matcha today, I got pulled away and forgot about it. Lunchtime came along, and a quick look at the fridge didn’t reveal much. But I had just refilled the jar of jasmine basmati rice, which was out on the counter, next to the untouched cup of matcha. Hmm.
Ok, some of you are thinking, he’s gone overboard. But wait — it was good! I scooped some rice into my pot, rinsed it off, and just poured the matcha over the rice. I wish I had taken a photo of the color, it was wild. My first thought was that the boiling might make the matcha bitter, since every tea teacher on earth admonishes his/her students against using boiling water with matcha, but no! It tasted great. Very subtle, but there it was, with its grassy overtones. I topped it off with some matcha salt, a little avocado, and a pinch of chopped mint. It’s definitely more of a color thing than a taste thing though — the gentle green hues make for an arresting presence in the bowl.
The pickles were all from the fridge: homemade sauerkraut (more on this soon, I promise), pickled ginger, pickled carrots, and pickled daikon.
Rice and pickles — how can something so simple be so satisfying?
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9 Responses to “Matcha Rice and Pickles”
By
Steph on Mar 22, 2008
I love rice with pickle-ly, vinegary flavors. mmmm. Especially with something oily which I suppose you accomplish with the avocado. This just looks very healthy too.
By
Victor Ortiz on Mar 23, 2008
You have stumbled on a form of “chazuke”. Often Japanese will fill a bowl with hot or cold rice and pour hot or cold tea on it. There are even pre-packed bags of dry toppings (many containing tangy or smoky items, some dehydrated). I like your idea as it has more crunch involved in the tsukemono. Also, cooking it in the tea is novel. Thanks for the idea.
By
Eric on Mar 24, 2008
I don’t think I’d call it a chazuke, which uses cooked rice that gets hot tea poured over it, sort of like an instant rice stew, though lord knows I love chazuke, especially with some poached salmon. Hmm, maybe a matcha chazuke is order, thanks for inspiration, Victor!
By
Bri on Mar 24, 2008
Hi Eric, thanks for your note on Facebook. This sounds like a delightful and satisfying meal. I’m continually amazed at just delicious and wonderful the simplest foods can be. I’ve never made my own refrigerator pickles, but have always wanted to try it out. Good friends of our make lemon dill sauerkraut whenever they can get local cabbage (in Santa Cruz) and it’s some of the most delicious live food. I will look around your site more, but have you had a chance to experience South River miso. It’s not local, but speaking of food that’s alive with beneficial bacteria…it’s is amazing and satisfying. Thanks for looking me up, I’ll be back for sure.
By
helen on Mar 24, 2008
Eric,
I have a small jar of matcha that I bought from a tea house in Kyoto 2-3 years ago. Do you think it’s any good still? I opened it just this past weekend, and it smells fine. Thoughts? Comments?
By
Eric on Mar 24, 2008
Welcome Bri! I’ve been making sauerkraut too, and loving it — will post on it soon.Will also check out South River miso . . . Oregon? Where can I buy it in SF?
By
Eric on Mar 24, 2008
And welcome Helen! I suppose it depends on the storage conditions. Was it in a cool dark place? Is the color still pretty vibrant? It should smell grassy and fresh; if it’s old, it will smell just like hay. I would say: it’s probably fine for cooking, making matcha salt, etc., but you might want to drink something a little fresher…..
By
bee on Mar 24, 2008
thanks for dropping by. you have a lovely innovative site here.
By
Vance on Apr 1, 2008
Hey Eric… Love all this Maccha inspired ochazuke talk. But what I am really anticipating is some serious blogging around tsukemono. Hurry up with the sauerkraut you promised and other exciting pickling tips.