Okayu vs. Zosui: Japanese Rice Porridge
As you know, white rice and miso soup are staples of the Japanese diet, with which we enjoy various side dishes at meals.
As for the way of eating, some people like to pour miso soup into a bowl of white rice and eat them together.
As with that, when we have a hot pot or Nabemono, to finish it off, we sometimes simmer the rice in its leftover soup and make a porridge called Zosui (雑炊).
Zosui vs. Okayu
In addition to Zosui, Japanese home cooks sometimes make a rice porridge called Okayu (お粥).
But how does the former porridge differ from the latter dish? This time, I will explain that.
Zosui (雑炊)
First, Zosui, also known as Ojiya (おじや) or Konagaki (こながき), is the generic name for Japanese porridge made by cooking rice and other ingredients together in seasoned water.
In addition to cooked rice, Zosui also uses raw rice.
We simmer it with ingredients such as meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and mushrooms, and we season the soup mainly with soy sauce or miso.
By the way, miso soup-mixed rice and the rice cooked in the leftovers of Nabemono can also be called Zosui.
Okayu (お粥)
Meanwhile, Okayu or Kayu (粥) is a Japanese porridge made of various kinds of cereal, such as rice, wheat, millet, or buckwheat. Also, beans and potatoes can be the main ingredient.
Okayu is a simple porridge made by boiling those cereals in plenty of water until soft and thick.
Since this porridge is low in calories, some Japanese favor it as a diet food. Also, this type is easy to digest, so we often serve it to sick people.
(Reference Pages: Wikipedia 雑炊, 粥 )
