🍱 Uzume-meshi
At first glance, it looks like “Ochazuke” (rice with green tea) with soup stock and wasabi (Japanese horseradish), but underneath the rice there are small pieces of sea bream and vegetables. Various theories remain as to the origins of this way of eating. For example, in the Edo period (1603 - 1868), when people were forced to be frugal and thrifty, they hid their extravagance from people, or they were embarrassed to be seen by others because the ingredients were poorly made. There is also a tradition to keep your eyes down when serving and eating. There is a similar dish in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is said to have been handed down along with Buddhist beliefs, and some believe that animal products were not used originally. In 1939, “Uzume-meshi” was selected by the Imperial Household Agency as one of the "Five Famous Types of Japanese Rice" along with “Sayori-meshi” from Gifu Prefecture, “Fukagawa-meshi” from Fukagawa, Tokyo, “Chushichi-meshi” from Ogawa town, Saitama Prefecture, and “Kayaku-meshi” from the Namba region of Osaka.