Donburi facts for kids
Donburi (丼) is a super popular Japanese "rice-bowl dish." Imagine a big bowl filled with warm rice, topped with yummy ingredients like fish, meat, or veggies. These toppings are often cooked together in a special sauce.
The word donburi actually means "bowl" in Japanese. So, when you order a donburi, you're getting a delicious meal served right in a large bowl! Sometimes, the food itself is called donburi-mono, and the bowl is called donburi-bachi.
The sauce used for donburi changes depending on the ingredients and where it's made. A common sauce uses dashi (a type of broth), soy sauce, and mirin (a sweet rice wine). Chefs mix these in different amounts to create unique flavors. You can even make donburi at home using almost any ingredients, even leftovers!
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Types of Donburi Dishes
There are many traditional Japanese donburi dishes, each with its own special toppings. Here are some of the most well-known:
Gyūdon
Gyūdon (牛丼) means 'beef bowl'. This dish has rice topped with thin slices of beef and onion. They are cooked in a slightly sweet sauce made with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Sometimes, gyūdon also includes shirataki noodles. You might even find it topped with a raw or soft-boiled egg!
Butadon
Butadon (豚丼) is similar to gyūdon, but it uses pork instead of beef. The pork is cooked in a mildly sweet sauce. Butadon first became popular in Hokkaidō, a large island in northern Japan. Now, people enjoy it all over Japan.
Tendon
Tendon (天丼) is a tasty dish with crispy tempura served over a bowl of rice. The name "tendon" is a shorter way of saying tempura and donburi together. Tempura is usually seafood or vegetables that have been lightly battered and deep-fried.
Tentamadon
Tentamadon (天玉丼) is a variation of tendon. It features tempura that has been simmered with a beaten egg. This mixture is then placed on top of rice, making it a soft and flavorful dish.
Unadon
Unadon (鰻丼) is short for "eel bowl." This Japanese dish has steamed white rice topped with grilled eel fillets. The eel is cooked in a style called kabayaki, which is similar to teriyaki. It's glazed with a sweet, soy-based sauce called tare and often caramelized over charcoal. Unadon was one of the first donburi dishes, created a long time ago in Japan, around the early 1800s.
Tamagodon
Tamagodon (玉子丼) is a simple yet delicious donburi. It consists of scrambled eggs mixed with a sweet donburi sauce. This eggy mixture is then served on top of a bowl of rice.
Oyakodon
Oyakodon (親子丼) is a very popular donburi dish. It features chicken, egg, and sliced scallions cooked together. This mixture is then served over a large bowl of rice. The name oyakodon means "parent and child bowl," because it uses both chicken (the parent) and egg (the child)! Sometimes, beef or pork can replace the chicken, and this version is called Tanindon.
Katsudon
Katsudon (カツ丼) is a hearty donburi dish. It has a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet, called tonkatsu. The tonkatsu and onion are simmered and then bound together with a beaten egg. This delicious topping is then placed over rice. There are different ways to make katsudon in various parts of Japan.
Sōsukatsudon
Sōsukatsudon (ソースカツ丼) is similar to katsudon. However, instead of egg, it uses sliced cabbage and a sweet-salty sauce. This gives it a different flavor and texture compared to the egg-bound katsudon.
Konohadon
Konohadon (木の葉丼) is a lot like oyakodon. But instead of chicken, it uses thin slices of kamaboko (a type of fish cake). This dish is especially popular in the Kansai area of Japan.
Karēdon
Karēdon (カレー丼) is a unique donburi that combines Japanese curry with rice. It has a thickened, curry-flavored dashi broth poured over rice. This dish came from curry udon or curry nanban, which are noodle dishes. You can often find karēdon at soba or udon restaurants.
Tekkadon
Tekkadon (鉄火丼) features thinly-sliced raw tuna served over rice. If you like a bit of spice, you can try spicy tekkadon. This version might have spicy ingredients, a spicy orange sauce, or both, often with spring onions.
Hokkaidon
Hokkaidon (北海丼) is a delicious seafood donburi. It consists of thinly-sliced raw salmon served over rice. It's a fresh and simple dish that highlights the taste of salmon.
Negitorodon
Negitorodon (ネギトロ丼) is made with negitoro on rice. Negitoro is a mix of diced toro (fatty tuna) and negi (spring onions). It's a popular choice for tuna lovers.
Ikuradon
Ikuradon (いくら丼) is a colorful donburi dish. It features seasoned ikura (salmon roe) served on top of rice. The bright orange roe adds a burst of flavor and texture.
Kaisendon
Kaisendon (海鮮丼) is a seafood lover's dream. It has thinly-sliced sashimi (raw fish) served over rice. Sometimes, fish roe is also added to make it even more special. It's a great way to enjoy fresh seafood.
Tenshindon or tenshin-han
Tenshindon or tenshin-han (天津丼 / 天津飯) is a Chinese-Japanese dish. It has a crabmeat omelet served over rice. This dish is named after the city of Tianjin in China.
Chūkadon
Chūkadon (中華丼) literally means "Chinese rice bowl." This donburi has a bowl of rice topped with stir-fried vegetables, onions, mushrooms, and thin slices of meat. It's similar to a dish called chop suey and is often sold at Japanese Chinese restaurants.
Gallery
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Pork sukiyakidon
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Kaisendon
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A bowl of Japanese rice topped with karaage chicken, soft-boiled egg, vegetables and topped with condiments
See also
In Spanish: Donburi para niños
