Chirashizushi (Decorated sushi rice)

Chirashi zushi (ちらし寿司）

🌸 Chirashizushi: A Colorful Celebration for Hinamatsuri

Chirashizushi, or “Scattered Sushi,” is one of the most festive and visually stunning dishes in Japanese cuisine.

While preparing the various toppings takes a little extra effort, the result is a beautiful, jewel-like masterpiece that brightens up any celebratory table. The key to a perfect Chirashizushi is the balance of colors, textures, and flavors from each ingredient. 🎨✨

Common Ingredients:

• Seafood: Salmon, Sea Bream (Tai), Tuna, and Shrimp.
• Seasonal Vegetables: Rape blossoms (Nanohana), Bamboo shoots, and Snow peas.
• Finishing Touch: Shredded egg crepes (Kinshi-tamago).

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🎎 Why do we eat Chirashizushi on Hinamatsuri?

In Japan, March 3rd is Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day), a special festival to pray for the healthy growth and happiness of young girls. The traditional dishes served on this day are filled with auspicious meanings and wishes:

• Shrimp (Ebi): Its curved shape and long feelers symbolize a wish for a long life, until your back is bent with age.
• Lotus Root (Renkon): Because of its many holes, it symbolizes the ability to “see through” to a bright and clear future.
• Beans: A wish for the person to work diligently and live healthily (the word “mame” in Japanese means both beans and “hard-working/healthy”).

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👩‍⚕️ Dietitian’s Secret for the Perfect “Sushizu” (Sushi Vinegar)

The soul of great sushi is the vinegar balance. As a Registered Dietitian, I recommend this Golden Ratio for your rice (per 100g of cooked rice):

• Rice Vinegar: 6–7g
• Salt: 0.6–1g
• Sugar: 1.2–2.5g

Pro-Tip: Unlike regular Nigiri sushi, Chirashizushi tastes better with a slightly higher sugar content. This extra sweetness beautifully complements the savory, simmered vegetables and the delicate flavor of the toppings. 🍱

📊 Nutrition Facts (Per Serving) : Chirashizushi (Decorated sushi rice)

Nutritional Facts Table (6 Servings)

Nutrient	Total Amount	Per Serving (1/6)
Calories	1,596 kcal	266 kcal
Protein	59.6 g	9.9 g
Total Fat	15.4 g	2.6 g
Total Carbohydrates	303.4 g	50.6 g
Sodium	9.5 g	1.6 g

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 6) : Chirashizushi (Decorated sushi rice)

• The Sushi Base:
• Rice: 300g (Uncooked/ The cooked rice weighs 2.2 times as much.)
• Water: 360g
• Sushi Vinegar: 50g Vinegar, 18g Sugar, 4g Salt

Simmered Toppings (Umami Mix):

• Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: 6 pieces (Rehydrated)
• Carrots: 80g
• Seasoning: 80g Water, 18g Light soy sauce, 10g Sugar

Vinegared Lotus Root (Renkon):

• Lotus Root: 60g
• Seasoning: 30g Vinegar, 9g Sugar, 1g Salt

Colorful Decorations:

• Shrimp: 100g (Peeled)
• Snow Peas: 15g
• Kinshi-tamago: 40g (Thin egg strips)
• Salmon Roe (Ikura): 30g
• Sakura Denbu: 10g (Sweet pink fish flakes)

📝 Memo

• ⋈ Denbu: A food made by steaming white fish, shredding it into fine flakes, and seasoning it with a sweet flavor. (It is often colored pink).
• ⋈ Ikura: Salmon roe that has been separated and pickled in salt water or soy sauce.
• ⋈ Sushizu (Sushi Vinegar): Supermarkets in Japan sell “Sushizu”—a pre-mixed blend of vinegar, sugar, and salt—so that anyone can easily make sushi rice at home.

🦐 How to Make Chirashizushi

Step 1: Preparation (The Day Before)

• Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Soak the dried shiitake in water a day in advance to rehydrate them properly.

Step 2: Simmering the Vegetables (The Day Before)

1. Slice the carrots and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms into thick strips (strips).
2. Place the carrots, shiitake, sugar, soy sauce, and water in a pot. Boil until the carrots are tender.

Step 3: Preparing the Lotus Root (Renkon) (The Day Before)

1. Slice the lotus root into 2mm rounds and soak them in water for a few minutes.
2. In a heat-resistant dish, mix the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
3. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute. Once cooled, soak the sliced lotus root in this mixture.

Step 4: Preparing the Green & Seafood

1. Boil the snow peas. Once cooled, slice them thinly.
2. In the same pot used for the peas, boil the peeled shrimp until cooked through.

Step 5: The Sushi Rice

1. Place the rice and water in the rice cooker and cook as usual.
2. Mix the vinegar, sugar, and salt for the sushi vinegar and microwave for 30 seconds to dissolve.
3. While the freshly cooked rice is still warm, gently fold in the sushi vinegar.
4. Add the simmered carrots and shiitake, plus 2/3 of the lotus root into the rice and mix well. (Reserve 1/3 of the lotus root for decoration.)

Step 6: Assembly & Decoration

1. Spread the mixed rice onto a large plate or serving bowl.
2. Beautifully arrange the Kinshi-tamago (shredded egg), Denbu, Salmon roe (Ikura), Shrimp, the remaining 1/3 of the lotus root, and snow peas on top.

💡 Note on Kinshi-tamago: > This time, I used store-bought shredded eggs as they were on sale. If you’re making them from scratch: Pour whisked eggs into a heated frying pan to make a very thin sheet. Once cooked, let it cool and slice it into very fine strips.

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