The Fundamentals of Donburi: Rice With Delicious Toppings

Table of Contents

What is Donburi?
History and Origins of Donburi
1. Katsu-don (Pork Cutlet Bowl)
2. Ten-don (Tempura Bowl)
3. Gyū-don (Beef Bowl)
4. Una-don (Eel Bowl)
5. Oyako-don (Chicken and Egg Bowl)
6. Kaisen-don (Seafood Bowl)
The Role and Future of Donburi Today

What is Donburi?

Donburi, commonly known as "don," is a quintessential Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with various ingredients. It is loved for its convenience, heartiness, and the wide variety of toppings available.

Donburi primarily consists of two components: rice and toppings. Rice is the base and staple food of the Japanese diet, while the toppings can include meat, fish, vegetables, and more, seasoned with sauces or condiments that bring out individual household or regional characteristics. Additional accompaniments and toppings (such as shredded seaweed, pickled ginger, or green onions) enhance the flavor and texture.

History and Origins of Donburi

The origin of donburi dates back to the Edo period. The first recognized donburi dish was ten-don (tempura donburi), developed as a quick and convenient meal for commoners in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Tempura was placed on hot rice and drizzled with a special sauce, quickly gaining popularity.

In the Meiji era, gyu-don (beef bowl) emerged. Influenced by Western culture, meat consumption became more common, leading to the creation of beef dishes. Yoshinoya, the originator, became known for its quick, nutritious gyu-don, which gained widespread popularity.

After World War II, Japan's economic growth led to a diversification of food culture, resulting in the creation of various donburi dishes. Donburi became a staple of Japanese home cooking due to its ease of preparation.

Now let's take look at the six most popular types of donburi dishes.

1. Katsu-don (Pork Cutlet Bowl)

Katsu-don is a fried pork cutlet (*1) that has been lightly fried in a mixture of soy sauce and scrambled egg, then placed on rice. It combines Japanese flavors, fried foods and meat, making it very popular with many different groups of people. The average price of katsu-don runs around 1000 yen, and is a guaranteed part of most soba and set meal restaurants. Recently, the katsu-don specialist chain shop Katsuya has been selling one variety of this dish for 560 yen.

*1 Tonkatsu: fried pork cutlets that have been battered in a mix of flour, egg, and bread crumbs.

2. Ten-don (Tempura Bowl)

Ten-don has tempura resting on rice with a mild sauce poured over it. As there are many different forms of tempura, from shrimp to seasonal vegetables, this dish in particular has a lot of variety to offer in taste. The price of ten-don also varies greatly. Shrimp or anago (grilled eel) tempura can be quite pricey, while "kakiage-don" (*2) is comparatively cheap. Ten-don is commonly found at tempura or soba restaurants and ranges in price from 500 yen to about 1500 yen.

*2 Kakiage: Kakiage is a kind of tempura made by deep-frying a mixture of vegetables, seafood, or sometimes both, which are finely chopped and combined with a light tempura batter.

3. Gyū-don (Beef Bowl)

Gyū-don is made from thinly sliced beef and onions that have been saturated in a salty-sweet soy sauce-based sauce then laid over the rice. Yoshinoya and Sukiya, two popular gyū-don chain restaurants can be found at almost every station so you can easily enjoy gyū-don anywhere. Your meal will arrive mere minutes after ordering it at one of these shops, and most bowls of gyū-don start from 400 yen, making it perfect for business lunches or a late dinner.

4. Una-don (Eel Bowl)

Unagi-don is a slightly sweet, savory rice bowl that has kabayaki (*3) on top of the rice. As unagi is rather expensive to begin with, this donburi tends to cost over 1000 yen (with fancier options costing more) and is typically only available at traditional Japanese restaurants or unagi specialty shops.

*3 Kabayaki：In the kabayaki style, the fish is split down the back (or belly, depending on the region), gutted, boned, butterflied, and then cut into square fillets. These fillets are skewered, grilled, and basted with a sweet soy-based sauce known as tare.

5. Oyako-don (Chicken and Egg Bowl)

In this dish, the chicken is first cut into bite-sized pieces and then stewed in an egg soy sauce base, then put on top of the rice. The dish itself is called oyako-don because it refers to “oya” ("parents") - in this case chicken - and “ko” ("child/children") - the eggs. It’s quite popular thanks to the combination between the delicious taste of the chicken and the thick richness of the eggs. You can easily find this dish at set meal restaurants or soba shops.

6. Kaisen-don (Seafood Bowl)

Kaisen-don is a bowl of rice topped with fresh seafood. It varies by region, with specialties like ikura (salmon roe) in Hokkaido and saba (mackerel) in Kyushu.
Rather than pouring sauce over this dish, many prefer to eat the sashimi separately with soy sauce.

Kaisen-don can be found at Japanese restaurants, sushi shops and of course near Tsukiji Fish Market. The pricing for this dish is somewhat different than the others as, depending on the ingredients and their quality, the price can run from very reasonable to quite expensive.

The Role and Future of Donburi Today

In contemporary society, donburi is popular as a quick and balanced meal. It is loved for its convenience, fitting well into the busy lifestyles of modern people.

Donburi is a symbol of Japanese food culture, celebrated for its diversity and convenience. Understanding its historical background and the stories behind each type of donburi can deepen your interests for this beloved dish!

All pictures from PIXTA