Curious what the Japanese eat everyday or want to plan a full out Washoku meal? The mystery is all in One Soup Three Dishes called “Ichiju Sansai” (一汁三菜)
Thanks to Japanese food porn shows such as Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (Shinya Shokudo 深夜食堂) and The Solitary Gourmet (Kodoku no Gourmet 孤独のグルメ), we receive many questions from curious readers about the dishes featured on the shows (Nami has an entire section of recipes on Midnight Diner Recipe Series). But most interesting were the questions like “What do the Japanese eat every day?” and “How can I plan and cook Japanese food at home?”
Contrary to popular belief, the Japanese do not live off a steady diet of ramen, sushi, and tempura (although I wish!). Japanese cuisine/Washoku is actually quite simple and a nutritious balance of protein and vegetables served each in its own plates and bowls.
Called Ichiju Sansai (一汁三菜), literally “one soup three dishes,” this is the foundation of a Japanese meal.
What is Ichiju Sansai?
A typical Japanese meal is composed of four elements: rice, soup, side dishes and pickled vegetables.
- Gohan (ご飯) – a bowl of plain steamed rice
- Shiru (汁) – a bowl of soup, which may contain vegetables or tofu
- Okazu (おかず) – main dish and 2 side dishes composed of vegetables, tofu, fish or meat
- Kouno mono(香の物) – a small plate of pickled seasonal vegetables
This meal format can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you’ve been fortunate to spend a night at a ryokan (Japanese inn), you may have witnessed the elaborate spread of dishes for breakfast. Or perhaps you may have encountered something similar in the form of a teishoku (set meal on a tray) at Ootoya Restaurant (the Japanese chain restaurant) or other places.
Ichiju Sansai – Where Did It All Begin?
The style of “one soup three dishes” originates from Honzen Ryori (本膳料理), a highly refined system of meal-serving that was established as a banquet style of the upper nobility and the samurai class during the Muromachi period (1336–1573).
The elaborate dishes were arranged and brought to the guests on small four-legged tray tables called “zen” (膳). The tables would be presented to the guests in sets of three, five, or seven, starting with the main “zen” (Hon-zen 本膳), second “zen” (Nino-zen 二の膳), third “zen” (Sanno-zen 三の膳) and so forth.
The style of honzen ryori simplified over time from the extravagance to the everyday meal, and what remains to this day are the dishes on the main “zen” (Hon-zen), featuring rice, soup, pickles and three okazu dishes. This is the foundation of “one soup three dishes.”
Rice in the Heart of Japanese Cuisine
Wondering why there’s no mention of rice or pickles in the Ichiju Sansai (One Soup Three Dishes) setup? This is because rice and pickled vegetables are always included in a Japanese meal. Rice is not only a dish in itself, but it is also an essential component in the national cuisine.
It also has a symbolic place in the Japanese language: the term Gohan (ご飯) means both “cooked rice” and “meal.” The sticky short-grain Japonica rice is the heart of a Japanese meal, and also the staff of life.
It’s also a necessary ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Koji (麹) mold culture injected into steamed rice is an essential ingredient in making Sake, Mirin and Miso.
Plan an ‘Ichiju Sansai’ Meal
So let’s get started! Ichiju Sansai is just a structure, so even if you’re vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan or have dietary restrictions, you can easily swap and adjust recipes to suit your dietary needs for a filling meal.
Browse through the recipes below to pick out what you want to cook!
Rice (Gohan)
Traditionally, rice would be served plain. But if you’re seeking for flavor and color in your rice, try Takikomi Gohan (炊き込みご飯), rice cooked with vegetables and seasonings.
Here’s a list of ideas to get you started:
- How to Cook Rice (if you don’t own a rice cooker!)
- Ginger Rice (with a little spicy kick!)
- Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan (add oomf to your rice with burdock root and fish cake)
- Mame Gohan (fresh spring peas cooked with rice)
- Matsutake Gohan (an autumn delicacy)
- Chestnut Rice (another autumn specialty)
- Sweet Onion Takikomi Gohan (sweet sautéed onions cooked with rice)
Pickled vegetables (Tsukemono)
Cleansing your palate between a meal may sound a little strange at first, but with all the different textures and flavors going on, it’s actually refreshing to reset your mouth from time to time.
Soup (Shiru)
A soup is not just a side dish, but it holds its own place in a Japanese meal. Miso soup is most commonly served, but feel free to serve whatever you wish!
- Miso Soup (your everyday soup)
- Japanese Clam Soup with Clear Broth (a simple clear broth with kombu dashi and Manila clams)
- Kenchinjiru (a hearty vegan soup)
- Matsutake Soup (a clear broth, featuring an autumn delicacy)
- Sanpeijiru (originally from Hokkaido, a chunky salmon soup)
- Tonjiru (a pork and root vegetable miso stew)
Main + 2 Side Dishes (Okazu)
As eating meat became popularized only during the last 150 years, traditionally the main protein would be fish, either grilled or simmered. But nowadays, you’ll see fried foods such as Tonkatsu or Karaage, or even Gyoza as the main protein.
Meat & Fish dish
- Kakuni (braised pork belly)
- Catfish Kabayaki
- Hamachi Kama
- Nikujaga (potato and pork braise)
- Ootoya’s Sweet and Sour Chicken (vegetable and chicken stir-fry)
- Saba Misoni (mackerel poached in miso)
- Tonteki (pork loin)
- Yellowtail Teriyaki
Vegetable dish
Vegetables are served in cooked form and not served raw.
- Agedashi Tofu (deep fried tofu cubes)
- Broccolini Gomaae (dressed in a nutty sesame sauce)
- Hijiki Seaweed
- Kinpira Renkon (stir-fried lotus root)
- Simmered Kabocha
- Spinach Ohitashi (blanched spinach in dashi)
- Vegetable Tempura
- Warm Mushroom Salad
Ichiju Sansai is just a format, so don’t worry if your meal doesn’t look perfect with all the correct number of dishes. The point is to have a well-balanced meal of protein, vegetables and carbohydrates.
Lastly, please let us see of your Ichiju Sansai meals by posting your photos on Instagram with the hashtag #justonecookbook!
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Kayoko happily grew up in the urban jungle of Tokyo and in the middle of nowhere East Coast, U.S. After a brief stint as a gelato scooper and a slightly longer employment at an IT company, she decided to drop her cushy job to enroll in culinary school. Kayoko resides in Tokyo with her husband, a penguin pillow, and many half-dead plants. More from Kayoko →
“It also has a symbolic place in the Japanese language: the term Gohan (ご飯) means both “cooked rice” and ‘meal’.”
I learned about the above when I began studying Japanese and it reminded me how similar it is to the way, in Egypt, the Arabic word used for bread is “aish” (عيش) which literally means “life”, as opposed to the standard word for bread, khobz (خبز), used by other Arabic speakers. The linguistic symbolism similarly highlights the centrality and significance of bread in Egyptian food and lifestyle. I find it interesting to point out and compare these linguisric and cultural parallels.
P.s. Great article, very informative 🙂
Hi Mai! Thank you for your comment 😀
Interesting to hear about the linguistic similarities of the terms for food/life. It shows how much food is central to every culture!
In Tagalog as well, ‘kanin’ is cooked rice, ‘kaka-nin/kakainin’ can mean ‘meal’ or ‘something a person will eat’, and ‘kaka-ni-n’ (spelled ‘kakanin’) means sweet rice cake. ‘Alilang-kanin’ is an unpaid employee or servant paid only with food and lodging, ‘sundalong-kanin’ means a soldier who doesn’t fight but takes rice rations, i.e. a useless person. Thanks for a very informative article, Kayoko-san! 🙂
A very refreshing post. I had to travel to Japan with my husband ( who is native Japanese) to learn how to properly serve ichijusansai. This is an important point that most of my translated Japanese cookbooks leave out. Before Japan, I served only misoshiru, a main protein, one vegetable, oolong cha or genmaicha, and gohan (my husband hates tsukemono). After staying with my wonderful in-laws in Chiba , and later visiting Kyoto, I learned by the examples of other cooks just how many set combinations there are! Anything is possible, even using leftovers to make okazu for other meals is acceptable.
Hi Tara! Thanks for your warm response 🙂
Glad to hear that you’ve been able to incorporate Ichijusansai into your meal plan!
Ichiju Sansai is quintessential Japanese home cooking. Alas sometimes we just do not have the time, but when we do there’s something just so right, so balanced and comfortable about this. To be honest, I didn’t know it had a name!
Hello Jim!
Ichijusansai isn’t a term we use daily, so no worries that you didn’t know it had a name! It’s just something we take for granted. Agreed, there is something comforting in the balance of the dishes.
Konichiwa–I lived in Tokyo on an A=USAF base as a kid. One thing I loved was the sweet rice cakes we had on New Years-Mochi? The ones I find are frozen and not what we had. Where can I get them or make them?
Domo!
Hello Patti!
You should be able to find dried mochi in Asian or Japanese supermarkets, see this list for a grocery near you. Have you checked out Nami’s recipe? Making mochi at home will require tools that aren’t easy to buy, you need to pound steamed mochi rice, and most Japanese people buy the dried ones and toast them at home. Good luck!
This is gorgeous! My biggest problem tho isn’t coming up with different dishes, it’s knowing how to time the cooking. do you have any tips so i might achieve 一樹山菜 in less than 2 hours? It takes forever for me to amke all the dishes
Hi Erin!
Preparing a 一汁三菜 meal may seem daunting, especially if you want to prepare it on a daily basis. But there are a few tips that could hopefully ease the burden.
– There’s no need to prepare everything from scratch for every single meal! Make large batches of a side dish (like Kinpira or Hijiki) and don’t be afraid of serving leftovers the next day. These types of dishes also keep well for a few days.
– Prepare simple side dishes, like chilled tofu or a daikon salad. I always keep tofu at hand.
– You can always freeze leftover rice and microwave portions the next day. No need to cook rice at each meal.
The point is to keep it simple! You can always start with making one hearty main dish (like a stir fry) with rice and miso soup, then once you feel comfortable, prepare another side dish.
First, I want to say I love your site. I’m slowly working through the recipes, finding things we all like (not always easy with picky eaters!).
I was curious about two things. Is there a specific position the many dishes should be put in when you set the table?
Second, I don’t have upper teeth (and, for the moment, my denture isn’t an option). Do you have good soft food suggestions? The rice, most fish, and soups, of course, are pretty easy. But a lot of vegetable dishes I’ve found so far are crunchy, which is hard on the gums.
Thank you for the work you do here! It’s a wonderful resource!
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