In Japan there are many rice menu. Actually Japanese people have eaten rice from ancient generation. In history book, it is over 2000 years ago.
So Japanese people have created various rice menu. And some of them are known foreign people. But, I think there are unknown Japanese rice menu for foreign people.
In this article, I will introduce one of Japanese rice menu "Kamameshi”. And I think almost foreign people don't know this menu. So I want you to know this traditional rice menu and enjoy.
1．What is a kamameshi
First of all, I will introduce about kamameshi.1-1．What is a kamameshi
Kamameshi is a rice menu cooked with some ingredients.You know Japanese rice are cooked by rice cooker, in usual. However kamameshi is cooked by small pod. And with ingredients, all of the rice will good taste.
And usually eating kamameshi is put out the rice at just eating timing. So you can eat the good taste and smell hot rice.
1-2．What is the meaning kamameshi
By the way "Kamameshi” is made two Japanese words "Kama” and "meshi”.Kama means cooking pod. And meshi means rice. So kamameshi is cooked by kama, not a rice cooker.
2．How to cook a kamameshi
Usually kamameshi is cooked by small pod. Putting into rice and ingredients in the pod. And cook it by small fire.And usually ingredients are cooked with in kama. But some ingredients that is colorful, put on the rice after cooking.
3．How about ingredients
In kamameshi, many ingredients are used. I think it depends on the areas. For example, in Japan there are the areas near the sea. On the other hand, some place are in the mountainside. So kamameshi had developed on each areas.3-1．Vegetables
Vegetables are used in kamameshi ingredients. For example, radish, carrot, Chinese cabbage are.And basically ingredients are OK to your favorite food. However, thinking about heating ingredients, you should take care the cutting size of ingredients.
3-2．Mushroom
In kamameshi mushroom is popular ingredients. Because, mushroom has good taste, smell, and mouth feeling. I think in usual kamameshi contains shiitake mushroom.
3-3．Meat
In kamameshi, meat is popular ingredients, too. Usually it should cook with the rice on the same time.I think chicken is popular ingredients. But with collecting information of kamameshi, pork is good ingredients.
3-4．Seafood
Seafood is also good ingredients. And the kamameshi is good at seaside areas.By the way, In Japan depending on the areas, the products of seafood is different. In some areas, good scallops there are. On the other hand in another prefecture, salmon is good. And another area, you can eat crab kamameshi.
4．About kamameshi ekiben
In Japan there is a ekiben culture. Ekiben is a bento sold in stations. And some stations have kamameshi products of ekiben. Then you can enjoy the kamameshi trip, with Japanese train.And usually bullet train is used in trip in Japan. But I suggest the using local train will ekiben. I think you can have good feeling in Japanese local atmosphere with kamameshi ekiben.
5．Recommendations of exploring kamameshi
There are various kamameshi in Japan. So I think the exploring trip of kamameshi is very interesting. With searching information of kamameshi with a mobile phone, you will be able to meet a new kamameshi.
Anyway, eating kamameshi is tasting Japanese rice culture. So you can study Japanese rice culture with kamameshi. And the studying is interesting. Enjoy the studying kamameshi!
