After indulgence of New Year feast during Japanese New Year celebration, Nanakusa Gayu (七草粥) or seven herb rice porridge is enjoyed on January 7 in Japan allowing our stomachs to recover.
After eating Osechi Ryori (Japanese New Year feast) and all the holiday indulgence, the Japanese eat a healthy light rice porridge on January 7th. The dish is called Nanakusa Gayu (七草粥), and the rice porridge includes seven kinds of herbs. This simple meal hits the spot and helps our tired stomach heal and recover.
What’s Nanakusa Gayu?
Nanakusa (七草) means seven (= 七 nana) herbs (草 kusa). We sometimes say Haru no Nanakusa (春の七草), which means Spring Seven Herbs, because young herbs that are available at this time of the year are more tender in texture as well as more fragrant, perfect for enjoying with simply porridge.
As we eat rice porridge called Okayu (お粥) when we’re feeling under the weather, we eat rice porridge with seven herbs on January 7th of each year.
January 7th (Jinjitu 人日) is one of the 5 seasonal festivals (節句). The rice porridge is believed to protect from evil and helps prevent illnesses and diseases.
Nanakusa – Seven Herbs
From top, left to right: Hotokenoza (Nipplewort), Hakobera (ChickweedChickweed), Suzushiro (daikon), Suzuna (turnip), Gogyo (Cudweed), Seri (Water dropwort), Nazuna (Shepherd’s Purse)
Here are the seven herbs used in Nanakusa Gayu:
- Seri (せり) / Water dropwort
- Nazuna (なずな・ぺんぺん草) / Shepherd’s Purse
- Gogyo (ごぎょう) / Cudweed
- Hakobera (はこべら) / Chickweed
- Hotokenoza (ほとけのざ) / Nipplewort
- Suzuna (すずな・かぶ) / Turnip
- Suzushiro (すずしろ・大根) / Daikon radish
In Japan, we remember these seven herbs with a song:
「せり なずな、 ごぎょう はこべら ほとけのざ、 すずな すずしろ これぞ七草 (ななくさ)」
“Seri Nazuna, Gogyo Hakobera Hotokenoza, Suzuna Suzushiro Korezo Nanakusa.”
For those of us who live outside of Japan, we can probably find only one or two of the 7 herbs. It’s would be pretty impossible to find all seven herbs. You can choose other herbs that are more common (but not too strong and overkill the other herbs):
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Chervil
- Chives
- Fennel
- Mint
- Watercress, etc
Where To Find Nanakusa Severn Herbs
In Japan:
If you go to grocery stores, you can find these packages of convenient “Haru no Nanakusa Set” (春の七草セット).
Outside of Japan
If you live outside of Japan, you will most likely have a hard time finding these fresh herbs. I waited for years to share this post on my blog because I simply couldn’t find fresh herbs.
However, this year my local Japanese grocery store Nijiya Market was selling this freeze-dry Nanakusa.
The package includes 2 small servings of freeze dried herbs.
I understand the majority of you will have a hard time finding both fresh and freeze-dried Nanakusa. But I hope you still enjoyed reading about this Japanese custom.
Use Japanese Earthenware Pot Donabe for Nanakusa Gayu
Commonly used for hot pot dishes such as shabu-shabu, Donabe (Japanese earthenware pot) is made of special clay and it’s one of Japan’s oldest cooking utensils. Rice porridge made in Donabe is considered the best and I hope you give it a try.
Before you start using your Donabe, please check this post to learn how to season and care for Donabe.
I hope you enjoyed my Nanakusa Gayu post! If you make this recipe, snap a picture and hashtag it #JustOneCookbook. I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter! Thank you so much for reading and trying the recipes!
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Nanakusa Gayu (Seven Herb Rice Porridge)
Ingredients
For Rice Porridge
- ¼ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 250 ml water (1 cup + 2 tsp)
- kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt) (to taste)
Nanakusa (Seven herbs)
- 1 package Nanakusa Set (fresh or freeze-dry) (or 7 herbs of your choice, cut into small pieces)
Instructions
To Make Rice Porridge
- Add ¼ cup (50 g) short-grain rice in a bowl and rinse under running water while gently rubbing the rice with hands. Repeat until the water runs clear and drain.
- Put the rice back in a donabe (I used a small Japanese earthenware pot) or a heavy-bottomed pot, add 250 ml of water, and cover with a lid. Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes. Tip: With the heavy-bottomed pot like a donabe, the heat is distributed not as strongly/directly as a regular pot, so you can cook rice evenly.
- Bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. You can open the lid to check during this time.
- As soon as it's boiling, gently mix with the spoon once, making sure rice is not stuck to the bottom of the pot. Then lower the heat to the stove’s lowest heat setting (make sure to use the right size of stove burner for your pot size), cover the lid, and simmer the rice for 25-30 minutes. During this time, don't open the lid or mix the rice (See Note).
- After 25-30 minutes, turn off the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to let it steam. The rice should be soft and thickened.
To Make Nanakusa Gayu
- Add nanakusa (fresh or freeze-dried) and mix gently. Sprinkle salt to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Zen-gayu – 1 : 5 (50 grams : 250 ml)
Shichibu-gayu – 1 : 7 (50 grams : 350 ml)
Gobu-gayu – 1 :10 (50 grams : 500 ml)
Sanbu-gayu – 1 : 20 (25 grams : 500 ml) Using Cooked Rice:
Add rice and 2-3 times water in the pot. Cook stirring over medium-low heat. Adjust the consistency by adding more water.
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on January 5, 2017. The post has been updated with new images in January 2019.
