Chirashi Don (assorted sashimi on top of sushi rice) is a festive dish eaten on Girl’s Day or other celebratory events in Japan, with a generous serving of seafood such as tuna, salmon, salmon roe, and scallops placed on top of rice. Though traditionally a homemade dish, as more people favor eating out nowadays, many restaurants offer it as well. Nevertheless, kaisen-don is another rice bowl dish with seafood placed on top, commonly seen in restaurants. Is it the same as Chirashi Don? Or are they vastly different? Let’s find out!
Two major types of Chirashi Don
There are two major types of chirashi sushi in modern Japan: gomoku sushi and Edomae sushi. The former has a long history and can be traced back to the Kamakura period (1158-1333). It is a traditional Japanese family cuisine, usually prepared for celebratory purposes or on Girl’s Day when the family dines together.
The latter, Edomae sushi, is a new variation evolved from Edo nigiri sushi (hand-pressed sushi) which was popular in the Kanto region. It is characterized by the prodigious amount of sashimi covering the vinegared rice, sometimes with the addition of rolled omelet, shiitake and dried gourd. It looks as if the ingredients are randomly sprinkled onto the rice, thus the name chirashi sushi.
Edomae chirashi sushi and Edo nigiri sushi both originated from the Kanto region; to differentiate from the traditional gomoku chirashi sushi, locals would simply refer to the former as chirashi sushi, and the latter as gomoku chirashi sushi.
Having read about the types of chirashi sushi, how do you tell it apart from a kaisen-don?
Kaisen-don is actually a rice bowl dish inspired by the Edomae chirashi sushi. It made its debut after WWII, and was prepared by putting a variety of sashimi on plain hot rice.
Today, the basic recipe of kaisen-don varies from place to place. It is commonly served in restaurants, and the rice is not necessary hot nor plain, as sometimes vinegared rice might be used instead. As such, apart from the rice, the dish might be identified by its container.
Chirashi sushi is often presented in a rectangular bento box or cylindrical container, whereas kaisen-don would be in a typical bowl. Do pay attention to the rice and container next time you enjoy a Japanese meal!
Besides the container, the timing of having chirashi sushi is equally important to Japanese people. As mentioned above, the dish is eaten during festivities or when a special guest has come to visit, whilst kaisen-don is just another item on the menu of a restaurant. Therefore, if a friend invites you home and prepares chirashi don for you, it means that you are a dear friend to them!
Author: SAVOR JAPAN (Full article please visit savorjapan.com
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