Shiso Ochazuke with Pickled Plum and Radish

I can't get over how hot it is and it's only March. I don't feel like eating when it's so hot outside. I had the chilled rice in the fridge, so I made Ochazuke. You eat a bowl of cereal with milk in the morning, it's sort of like the same idea. Simply pour some roasted green tea, Houji-cha, over the rice and top it off with some savory condiments. Pickled plum and pickled daikon radish will flavor the bland rice, the shiso furikake adds a nice fresh aroma to the dish. Even on a hot day, it will go down easily.

Tangy pickled plum and radish with fragrant shiso herb

Pour Houji-cha over the rice

If you'd like, you can chill your tea in the fridge before pouring it on the rice. It cools you down fast on a hot summer day. Houji-cha is roasted green tea, and it is a great match to a bowl of rice.

Shiso herb furikake

Shiso is a Japanese version of basil. If you've had sushi or sashimi, you probably had this, only as in a green leaf form. Shiso adds such a clean fresh flavor to a dish. It is almost lemony. It reminds me of a condiment called Sumac which is used in Middle Eastern cooking. 



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