Rice Sprinkles
Here are 2 types of rice sprinkles I like to purchase when I’m at Mitsuwa.
The one on the left is called Ochazuke because after you sprinkle it on some leftover rice, you pour a cup of hot tea (ocha) on it and mix it up. If I’m feeling extra lazy, which come to think of it is most of the time, I’ll just pour on a cup of hot water. Together with a slice of ham and maybe a couple pickles this is Japanese junk food at it’s best. The bag contains 4 individually packaged servings.
The purple bag on the right contains dried and crumbled shiso ie. perilla leaves mixed with salt. This herb is similar to basil and in it’s dried form is slightly tart and adds a pretty color and faint fragrance when sprinkled over hot white rice. You may have had it served over basmati rice in Persian restaurants as well.
My grandparents, who had a farm in Toyohashi, used to make their own shiso every year. I remember looking forward to the big care packages they’d send over from Japan every Christmas because it among the multitude of presents, it always included a bag of homemade shiso just for me.
