Kamameshi

Kamameshi (釜飯) is a Japanese dish in which rice cooks slowly with its seasonings and toppings. Its name comes from kama (釜), the traditional metal or ceramic pot once used to cook it.

The rice absorbs the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and flavours of the vegetables, mushrooms, meat or seafood added from the beginning. A light crust may form at the bottom of the pot, adding a particularly appreciated texture.

Similar to takikomi gohan (炊き込みご飯), kamameshi was traditionally served directly in its small cooking pot, but it can now be prepared in a rice cooker or a suitable saucepan. Preparations known as kamameshi no moto (釜飯の素), literally “base for kamameshi”, combine the sauce and toppings to pour directly over the rice before cooking.

The recipes available include combinations such as vegetables with hijiki seaweed, or chicken with Japanese burdock. Unlike chahan, the rice is not stir-fried after cooking: all the ingredients cook together. The result also differs from zosui, which contains more broth.