What is Donburi? Inside Japan’s Comforting Rice Bowl

There’s something particularly comforting about Japanese food. Whether it’s heartwarming ramen noodles or the simple pleasures of an onigiri, many foods you can find at Japanese grocery stores are wonderfully satisfying and filling.

While ramen gets a lot of headlines as the ultimate comfort food, many Japanese people would probably say that donburi actually tops it. Big portions, sweet sauces and bountiful amounts of protein come together to make some of Japan’s most popular dishes that you absolutely must try for yourself!

What is Donburi?

Donburi is very simple: a large bowl of rice topped with various ingredients which have been simmered in a special donburi sauce.

Part of its appeal is that anything can be thrown in and made tasty, from prime cuts of meat to leftover vegetables from the fridge.

What Does Donburi Mean?

Donburi translates as ‘bowl’, but the name, like the dish, has a much richer history.

The story goes that the name originates from ancient establishments known as kendon-ya, which were known for serving one-bowl dishes in notably large portions. The larger bowls used by these eateries were called kendonburi-bachi, which over time was shortened to donburi.

Nowadays, donburi has a double meaning, referring both to the style of dish and the larger bowl in which it’s usually served. Sometimes, the dish will simply be referred to as don – you’ll see this suffix at the end of all donburi dishes (such as katsudon, a breaded pork donburi).

How to Make Donburi

One of the joys of donburi is that you can make it with pretty much anything, including some staple Japanese ingredients. There are so many variations of donburi, but the most popular will usually include these ingredients:

• Rice
• Vegetables (carrots, pak choi, mangetout etc.)
• Meat (beef, chicken, fish etc.)
• Sauce (soy sauce, mirin, dashi etc.)
• Spring onions (to garnish)

So long as you have rice, some kind of protein and some vegetables, you’ll have pretty much everything you need! The only thing to look out for is making the donburi sauce, but this is usually simple if you’re stocked with Japanese cupboard staples.

Preparing donburi is also very simple:

1. Cook the rice as recommended on the packet and set aside, keeping it warm until serving.
2. Prepare and cook the meat in a pan as recommended. Add the donburi sauce to the pan for the final 5-10 minutes of cooking so the meat soaks up some of the flavours and the sauce thickens.
3. Meanwhile, wash and thinly slice or ribbon the vegetables to serve raw. If the vegetables feel too hard, feel free to fry or boil them for a few minutes to soften.
4. To serve, fill a bowl with rice, then top with the cooked meat and sauce. Finish with the raw vegetables on top and spring onion garnish.

How to Make Donburi Sauce

The thing that sets donburi apart from similar dishes (such as Korean bibimbap) is that the protein is cooked in a sauce. Just as the main ingredients of donburi change, so does the makeup of the sauce depending on the specific dish.

That being said, donburi sauce tends to be quite mild and sweet. Generally, it will be made up of:

• Dashi broth
• Soy sauce
• Mirin
• Sugar

Dashi is usually the main component bringing everything together, while different amounts and styles of soy, mirin and sugar can be used to alter the flavours to suit specific dishes.

Keep your cupboard stocked with Japanese sauces and have fun trying to perfect your very own donburi sauce recipe!

Popular Donburi Dishes

While donburi can be made in various ways, certain styles of don have become hugely popular. Fans of Japanese cuisine will recognise some of these dishes, but there might also be new flavours you never considered before!

• Katsudon – Topped with tonkatsu, Japan’s iconic fried pork cutlet, cooked with a beaten egg.
• Gyudon – Topped with beef (gyu), often served with egg, onion, and pickled ginger.
• Unadon – Topped with eel (unagi), which is often grilled similar to teriyaki in a sweet soy sauce.
• Oyakodon – Topped with chicken, onion and beaten egg, all of which are cooked in a sweet donburi sauce. The name roughly translates as ‘parent and child donburi’, a play on chicken and egg.
• Kaisendon – Topped with fresh, raw seafood and vegetables, usually without sauce. The name comes from ‘sea’ (kai) and ‘fresh’ (sen).
• Tendon – Topped with various pieces of deep-fried meat and vegetables (tempura), and sometimes finished with a donburi sauce.

Whether you’re looking for the special ingredients for donburi sauce or authentic Japanese meats and vegetables, we have everything you need to make your dream donburi.