Takikomi Gohan

Takikomi Gohan:

Takikomi Gohan is a type of dish where rice and other ingredients are cooked together in a rice cooker. This dish is meant to be enjoyed as a seasonal delicacy.

History of Takikomi Gohan:

Takikomi Gohan was originally created to save some rice at a time when rice was not readily availabe. Ingredients such as chestnuts, millet, vegetables, and potatoes were used to increase the mass of the dish. These ingredients were mixed with a small amount of rice and then they were cooked together. This type of food comes way back from the Nara (710-794) to Heian period (794-1185).

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573) this type of rice came to be known as "変わり飯 (kawarimeshi)" which means different rice. By the Edo period (1603-1867), rice was commonly mixed with whatever ingredients were readily availabe, such as; pea, bamboo shoots, Japanese radish, chicken and oyster. This practice gave the dish a flavor that was specific to the seasons, ans was enjoyed as such. This style has been kept ever since.