Salmon Ochazuke

It is not extremely cold here in East coast this year, but winter is still a winter which we all want to stay cozy inside and have a warm food to fill us up. I am a soup lover..... so this season is a perfect excuse to have all sorts of soup for a meal! My favorite & go-to winter dinner meal is "Salmon Ochazuke". It is a classic Japanese meal that people normally eat often at home in Japan. Ocha refers to green tea and zuke means "submerged". It may sound strange to think of salmon and green tea submerged in one meal. However, this simple, quick, interesting, heart-warming dish will instantly change your mind about this mysterious combination!

A fascinating part of this meal to me is that how subtle the taste is. Like other Japanese meals, it doesn't contain a strong flavor. But I want to warn you ahead that it is an addictive taste that you will crave for it a few days. Ingredients needed for this meal are quite simple.

Once you make this meal for yourself on one cold winter evening, your home will become like you are at a midnight diner in Japan.

Ingredients: Salmon fillet, rice, water to boil, green tea bag, straight tsuyu, seaweed nori, scallion, sesame seed, salt and pepper for salmon.

1. Cook a rice in rice cooker or pot in advance.

2. Boil a water and brew green tea bag in boiling water (green tea or matcha powder also works). Once tea is brewed, add 2-3 tablespoons of straight tsuyu in green tea.

3. Marinate a salmon fillet with olive oil, salt and pepper for 10 minutes.

4. Cook a salmon throughly on fry pan.

5. Chop up seaweed nori and scallion into small pieces.

6. Place a cooked rice in the middle of the bowl and add salmon on top of it (you can slice the salmon into 2 pieces if it is too big).

7. Pour green tea tsuyu broth into the bowl. Sprinkle seaweed nori, scallion, and sesame seed on top.

8. Enjoy!