When you think of Japanese cuisine, typical foods that come to mind are usually sushi, udon, tempura, sashimi and so on. However, this article is going to take a look at a lesser-known, but wildly popular type of Japanese dish you wish you would have known about before. The dish is called omurice or omuraisu in Japanese. If the name sounds familiar, then you may have heard it before with its fully English name – omelette rice.
Omurice at its simplest is just an omelette laid on top a serving of rice. Instead of a regular omelette, in which people add various things into the egg mixture, omurice is different because all the delicious extra ingredients are added to the rice. It may sound strange at first, but trust me when I say this is one dish you’ll want to try as it’s a favorite of mine.
What is Japanese Omuraisu?
Omurice is a Japanese dish that is a combination of an omelette and fried rice. It is a simple dish that can be enjoyed by anyone. It’s kind of like Japan’s classic childhood dish, akin to mac and cheese or a PB&J. Omurice has a bit of an interesting, albeit on the nose, name. The name omurice (オムライス, Omu-raisu) is composed of two words, “omu” (short for omelette) and “riasu” (rice), which pretty much sums up its core components. However, like any normal omelette you can add things to spice it up. Chicken or onion are common additions to the fried rice, while either ketchup or demiglace are added as topping to the entire dish.
How was Omurice invented?
For about 200 years, Japan was a completely isolated country and was closed to almost all foreigners until the mid-1800s. Omelette, pilaf, and other foreign foods weren’t brought to Japan until late in the 19th century. After an influx of foreign recipes, the Japanese stayed true to some, while altering others to suit their palettes. Before long, these variations started to become popular nationwide. Omuraisu is believed to be a product of these Japanese and Western fusion dishes. Most scholars agree that the first omurice was served at a Western-style restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1902. The restaurant owner got the idea from an older, but similar dish called chakin-zushi (sushi rice wrapped in a thin sheet of fried egg).
How to make Omurice
Here’s a simple run down to making Japanese omurice.
Step 1 (Make the Rice): Cook some rice like normal and then fry it in a pot along with salt, butter, or oil. You can use any kind of rice, but short-grain sushi rice is the most common type used for omurice. It’s also better if the rice is drier and many people use day-old rice as it fries up better.
Step 2 (Veggies, chicken, ect): These next ingredients are all optional and you can add or remove them as you see fit. Dice some carrots, onions, and other veggies, then sauté them until they are tender and add them to your rice. Cook some chicken or small ham bits until they are fully cooked and combine them with your rice. Personally, I also like to mix ketchup directly into my fried rice. Once finished, put the rice in a bowl and then set a plate on top. Flip the plate and bowl together. Now leave the bowl on top until you finish cooking the egg so the rice can stay covered and warm until ready to serve.
Step 3 (Make an omelette): Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and mix them until combined. You can add seasoning to the eggs as well. Add salt and pepper to keep it simple or you can also add some dashi stock to be more traditionally Japanese. Pour the egg into a heated pan and using a pair off chopsticks mix the eggs in the pan consistently to create small curds. The bottom of your omelette should be fully cooked, but the top should be softer with partially cooked curds. Japan doesn’t have as big an issue with salmonella compared to the United States and it’s considered safer to eat uncooked eggs there. After getting the egg cooked you’ll lay it on top of your still warm rice with the partially cooked curd side down on the rice.
Step 4: Top the omuraisu with either demiglace sauce or ketchup and enjoy!
Conclusion
Omurice is a Japanese dish that is a combination of a Japanese omelette and fried rice. It is a simple dish that can be enjoyed by anyone. It is easy to prepare and can be made in various ways with different ingredients. Omurice is popular among people of all ages and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you are traveling to Japan and are looking for a Japanese dish to try, omurice is a great choice. You can also make it at home easily!
