At this time of the year when the weather is cold and flu season is around, my children usually take turns to bring some bugs home from school and last week was my daughter’s turn. She was feeling under the weather with high fever and coughs, so I decided to make some warm Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu) for her.
Rice Porridge, or we call it Okayu (お粥), is a simple dish made from just rice and water. As the rice is very soft and easily digestible, rice porridge in Japan is commonly known as a food served to people who are recovering from sickness, the elderly, or babies.
Compared to other countries where rice porridge is eaten, Japanese rice porridge is much thicker. A rice-to-water ratio is 1 : 5 for typical rice porridge (we call it zen-gayu), compared to 1 : 12 for a Cantonese-style congee. Japanese rice porridge can be made much quicker than the Chinese congee and we also don’t seem to eat porridge as frequently as the Chinese do as a regular meal.
Sometimes the rice porridge is cooked in dashi stock, chicken stock, or miso to flavor the broth. If you like, salmon, egg, or vegetables can be added to the rice porridge. However, I made today’s rice porridge very basic and plain without any modification so you can enjoy it with optional toppings on the side.
By the way, I have received this beautiful gift from Akazuki. The set includes 2 rice bowls and 2 tea cups and it’s a perfect gift for a couple! Their Tetsubin (cast iron tea pot) is now on sale for $22, and if you need a set of 2 Chawanmushi cups, there are a few that are on sale for $10!
Right now everything is 10% off on their website if you use the promotional code “JUSTONECOOKBOOK“. Have fun shopping!
Ingredients:
- 50 gram uncooked premium short grain rice (a little less than 1/4 cup or 4 Tbsp.)
- 250 ml water
- Small donabe (earthenwere pot) or any heavy bottomed pot*
- Shredded Japanese Salted Salmon
- Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum)
- Chopped scallions
- Shredded nori seaweed + white sesame seeds
- Mitsuba for garnish
Instructions:
- Rinse the rice in water, then drain. Repeat until the water runs clear.
- Soak the rice in the pot for at least 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, drain water completely.
- Then add 250 ml of water into the pot.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When boiling, lower the heat to the stove’s lowest setting (make sure to use the right size of stove burner for your pot size). Open the lid and gently mix with the spoon once, making sure rice is not stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Cover the lid** and simmer the rice for 30 minutes. During this time, I never open the lid or mix the rice.***
- After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and let it steam for 10 minutes. The rice should be soft and thickened. If you want to add something, like a beaten egg or salt, this is the time to add. Today I didn’t add anything and kept it simple. Serve into individual rice bowl and garnish and put toppings of your choice.
Notes
* With the heavy bottomed pot, the heat is not as direct or strong as regular pot, so you can cook rice evenly.
** With having 1:5 rice-to-water ratio, good size pot, and the lowest heat on the stove, water doesn’t boil over. However if you cook with more water or your pot is smaller, you may want to cover the lid at a slight angle so the water doesn’t boil over.
*** If you are worried, you can quickly peek and make sure there’s enough water so the rice doesn’t burn the bottom of the pot. If necessary, you can stir the pot or add “hot” water. Otherwise, don’t touch the rice because you would end up breaking the nice shape of rice kernels.
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[Rice-Water Ratio]
Zen-gayu – 1 : 5 (50 grams : 250 ml)
Shichibu-gayu – 1 : 7 (50 grams : 350 ml)
Gobu-gayu – 1 :10 (50 grams : 500 ml)
Sanbu-gayu – 1 : 20 (25 grams : 500 ml)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Using Cooked Rice] Add rice and 2-3 times water in the pot. Cook stirring over medium low heat. Adjust the consistency by adding more water.
Itadakimasu!
Hi, I'm Nami. Thanks for stopping by Just One Cookbook. You can read little bit more about me 
{ 112 comments… read them below or add one }
I love okayu with umeboshi! (I used to make it in my rice cooker when I lived in Japan… and not just when I was sick, either!)
I didn’t know that okayu had different names depending on the rice-water ratio, though. Thank you for always including so many interesting facts (beyond just the recipes) on your blog!
Looks delicious! When you say ill people, do you mean deathly ill, or just a little sick? I’d definitely enjoy this as a little snack!
Hi Jeff! Maybe my choice of words “people who are ill” might sound “deathly ill”. Sorry I didn’t know how to describe, but I changed to “people who are recovering from sickness”. Maybe sound better?
Thank you!
I love simple foods. We call it “arisi kanji” in my mother tongue. A bowl of rice cooked in water and little salt for taste. We top it with pickled lemons. This is the food we take on days when are down with cold/flu.
I love rice porridge and I usually make it plain too when we have upset stomach or even cold. Wonderful post and very clear pictures with fantastic presentation.
What a lovely dish to help your daughter feel better while suffering from the icky flu. And versatile enough to be dressed up by those who are feeling more up to enjoying a hearty meal.
The china set is gorgeous and I checked out the chawanmushi cups as well. Sounds like a great deal. I was amazed that they’d ship to Canada for a flat $5.95.
What a coincidence. I made rice porridge this morning with dried scallops and gingko nuts; a version my mom taught me. You’re right, about the Chinese eating porridge frequently…I grew up eating it every Sunday as a part of my family’s Cantonese-style brunch! I would love to try this with the umeboshi or flavored with dashi or miso. Thanks for sharing, Nami!
Hi Janice! Ohh dried scallops! My mother-in-law left some dried scallops and I can put them in next time…they are somewhere in the fridge right now. =P I learned about Chinese congee culture after I met my husband. I remember I told him and his friends how they could eat congee so often! For me, it’s still the food when you are sick…
Thank you for your comment!
I love rice porridge…..Oishii so……:)
Arigato, Fujiko-san!
Oh, so sorry to hear your little one was not well. It’s so sad when kids get sick. This looks like a nutritious and gentle meal for anyone no feeling well.
I eat rice porridge very regularly because I just love it! So comforting and satisfying. I seldom have exact water to rice ratio when cooking porridge cos if I want it thinner and it does not have thin consistency during cooking, then I will add more water. So I usually start with less water and add more accordingly. Recently I have been using millet for cooking porridge and love it too. Sometimes I just add ground chicken, veggies and egg into the porridge and it becomes a meal.
Hope your daughter is much better right now. Take care. My hb also just recovered from the flu (though he has taken the flu shot much earlier) and during that time, I cooked a lot of porridge and soups.
I had okayu during a hospital stay in Japan. They fed it to me morning, noon and night for a week. I couldn’t stand it by the time I got out and swore I was never going to go near it again. But wouldn’t you know it…the next time I got sick, the only thing I wanted was okayu! I felt as though eating that would make everything ok again…and it did!
Hi Andi! Your story was very sweet! How funny you craved for it after you felt so sick and tired of it! I can’t think of it now but I’m sure I have that kind of food.
Thank you so much for your comment!
Just got 4 cute kitty rice bowls with the discount! Thank you Nami!
I can’t wait to try out some porridge in them!
Hi Nekona! You did!
I’m glad you found something you like from the site. The owner of the shop is very nice, and hope you enjoy shopping at the store! 
Looks delicious!
Beautiful presentation, Nami! I hope your daughter is feeling better, I’m sure she is on the mend with your wonderful care!
where do you get those type of pots?
Hi Jhiselle! This kind of pot is called “donabe” or clay pot. You can find it in Asian or Japanese supermarkets or shops. You can usually find 2 kinds, big one and small one like this. Or you can find on Amazon.
Gorgeous pictures, Nami!
I love your both blue and red serving bowl sets shown in one of the pictures above.
Ahh, okayu is to the Japanese like chicken soup is to the North American. It’s the best comfort food for me when I’m sick or need something bland for my stomach.It was also good when I had all of my wisdom teeth pulled at the same time.
When I recently visited China, I was served congee, which is similar. I was very interested to try the various side dishes (for toppings), which gave it very different flavors than the typical Japanese okayu I am accustomed to.
Hi Aya-san! Thank you for your kind comment! Have you seen the congee cart that goes around during dim sum? They have different kinds of toppings to choose too. I never thought of eating it when I’m healthy until I met my husband (Taiwanese American)… lol.
Interesting recipe! I’ve eaten (and made) congee, but not this. It looks lovely – definitely need to try. Gorgeous pictures. Thanks.
You posted it! Thank you so much! I have my eye on a nice donabe, at my local “Asian Market” store, and I want to try making this in it. Friday is shopping day, so now, with the recipe, I am completely ready! Hooray
Hi S.Howard! You’re welcome! I’m glad you didn’t miss my post.
I hope you enjoy okayu in donabe! 
I do enjoy a nice bowl of okayu too. Porridge in any form works for me & this is just lovely, Nami!
Interesting – I didn’t realize that porridge had such a high ratio of water to rice. This does sounds like a wonderful bowl of wellness for someone under the weather. I’m a huge fan of cooking rice in stock so this sounds perfect to me cook in chicken stock. I know when I’m sick, I love a bowl of chicken stock with some noodles. So why not rice next time?
Love the set of bowls and tea cups! I’ll have to check them out on the website. Hope your daughter is feeling better!
Wow, this looks delicious! And the bowls are so cute!!
I enjoy the thicker type of porridge, more filling! LIke it plain with the toppings.
I hope your daughter feels better soon. I’m sure she did after tasting your lovely rice porridge! My mom would always make me rice porridge when I got sick as a child, and we always topped it off the dish with pickled cabbage (jiang gua).
Thanks for sharing the recipe; it’s definitely making me crave some warm porridge during this winter season!
Hi Kimmi! Thank you for your well wishes for my daughter. She’s getting better – she just has occasional coughs.
the pickled cabbage sounds delicious. Pickles always go well with rice! Thank you for your kind comment!
I have always wanted to try this
It looks lovely!
Cheers
CCU
I grew up eating (or is it sipping) rice porridge. Since I’m Chinese, we like rice porridge with pork floss (not sure how else it is called) or with egg (although I think this is Filipino style). My dad is a master rice porridge maker – hahaha! Yes, this is perfect for flu season!
Nami, certainly hope that you daughter is feeling much better but seeing this wonderful Rice Pudding that you so lovingly prepared for her (with all the interesting toppings), I am sure that she will feel better very soon! The presentation looks wonderful, I love the serving bowl with the lid and the wooden spoon – it looks very “warm” and comforting! I have made many rice puddings before but never savory ones, ours are alwys more on the sweet side, my kids love cinnamon sugar as a topping (but that is a whole different story).
All the very best for a speedy recovery for your daughter!
I have 2 small and 1 large donabe pot as a wedding gift 27 yrs ago. I just display them, what a waste! Lol, anyway the Filipino dish similar to this is arrozcaldo made with rice, chicken, garlic, and ginger. We can top it with fried garlic, green onions, and sometimes a squeeze of calamansi. We eat it anytime but some people like to eat it when they have a cold or flu.
Hi Susan! In winter time we use donabe a lot for our hot pot. Donabe keeps the food warm and it’s very comforting feeling to see donabe on the table.
Thank you for sharing how Filipino eat arrozcaldo! Sounds really delicious!
Nami, this looks so attractive and tempting, I cannot believe it’s just porridge… Porridge made from any grain brings back bad childhood memories (I have never liked it), so I think I might be convinced only tasting one made by such an excellent cook as you
The bowls look extremely beautiful. I will check if they ship to Europe.
i don’t really like plain porridge with condiments usually.. but yours looks so enticing, I wouldn’t mind some at all ^^ sick or not! hope your daughter feels better already with the tlc porridge ^^
interesting read, Nami, and as always I just want to gobble it up!
Awesome! This looks like the perfect comfort food.
Tell me about flues and viruses! This is one reason I dislike winter. This porridge would be perfect for my son who always catches every new virus that circulates at school lol!
Hi. Nice nice… I have eaten Chinese congee many times when living in Singapore and like it a lot, then I checked on the Internet how to make it and I read it requires a long time! The Japanese version is much faster, thanks for sharing this recipe, I will test it.
In North of Italy we produce rice and I feel like I like rice more then pasta, I come for rice land. Anyway in Italy we also eat plain rice when sick… we usually boil the rice and then drain it and add some butter or oil and Parmigiano!!!
Ciao.
Rice porridge is the ultimate comfort food. Looks very temping. Fabulous styling as always Nami
That’s interesting to know that Japanese eat porridge too, just like the Taiwanese
Haven’t had it for a while…it’s great for cold days/nights and for supper too. Those are lovely bowls and cups by the way
Love your beautiful bowls. I also like porridge but we usually add dried scallops in there.
This is a very good post, very clear and seems easy enough to do for everybody:) Wish you health for all family, I know how it is:) My little one is always taking all kinds of bugs from my older daughter who goes to kindergarten.
This is great. I make okayu with chicken stock when I’m sick and it’s wonderful. I honestly had no idea there were different terms for the different rice to water ratios. I’ve always made mine super thick with a soft boiled egg on top, I think now I’ll have to try a thinner version and see which I like better.
Hi Nami! Thanks for the detailed explanation especially on the rice to water ratio for the different porridge. I didn’t know there are so many variation until I read your post!
I prepared your recipe for Shichibu-gayu for my family who are down with bad colds. It was very comforting and delicious. I used my rice cooker to prepare it.
Thank you!
I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed Shichibu-gayu! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Simply, hearty and tasty. I’m a huge fan of rice porridge in general so I’d love to give the Japanese version a shot.
And here was me foolishly thinking that porridge was only made with oats! This does sound comforting, sick or not! I hope your daughter is feeling much better now.
That looks like fabulous comfort food. I hope your daughter is feeling better!
Hi Nami, All these pictures of rice porridge are looking gorgeous and I am craving to have a bite too:) Wonderful and appetizing dishes at galore and loved your pot, its too cute. Have a wonderful week. Look forward to your next post. Take care !
Regards, Sonia
I love my rice porridge thick, so I would probably prefer the Japanese version to the Chinese.
Beautiful photos for such a simple dish, and I hope your little girl feels better!
I certainly did enjoy reading this post! I learned to make this (sometimes for breakfast!) while we lived in Hawaii. I would use either chicken broth or miso and water, as you mentioned. I haven’t made this in years and, thanks to you, I will be making it for lunch today. As usual, gorgeous photos throughout! Happy new Year! Allen.
Beautiful presentation Nami!
I know what you mean with have the children taking turns to bring bugs at home, specially when they are at school. Now we are on vacation so everybody are ok at home, but as soon as it start becoming cold and children start going to school, my home looks more like a hospital
Good to know that this porridge can help, and not only the chicken soup
Hi Nami,
what a wonderful, versatile dish!
I’m going to try it with Miso stock, sounds very tasty.
And-the rice bowls and tea cups are very pretty
I always think of porridge of being sweet, love that it’s savory. When my stomach is upset, I love just plain rice. I bet it made your daughter feel better, that and mama taking care of her. Have a great weekend.
-Gina-
I would love to have a bowl of this now…. I have been coughing and having flu for the past week!
I love how you say your children take turns with the germs! And those bowls are gorgeous. I hope you all stay bug-free xx
I occasionally cook porridge even when I’m not sick, but it is perfect when you have a stomach bug with a little bit of flavored soy sauce. This porridge looks tasty. I want some even tho I’ve gotten over my flu! The photos are beautiful!
Stunning photos and made me really miss healthy breakfasts like these that my mum used to make!
looks like a wonderful way to help get over an illness! and such gorgeous photos as usual!
It’s tradition to make rice porridge whenever someone is sick. When I get sick, one of my parents always make porridge for me. I didn’t know Japanese rice porridge was thicker! I hope your daughter feels better now.
This looks delicious. In Bangladesh, we call it “JAU BHAT” meaning soft rice and use as you said for people recovering from sickness. Never knew jau bhat can be presented so beautifully. You rock, Nami!
I have had the Japanese version and liked it very much. The porridge doesn’t cook as long as the Chinese version, so the grains of rice stay intact more. Mmmm, having just gotten over a cold, I can really appreciate the restorative benefits of a hot bowl of porridge.
I love rice porridge, I remember my grandmom use to eat it everyday… she use to add dome cinnamon for fragrance sometime…
This looks really nice.
Yum! We Indians have rice porridge too (but I’m not a fan of Indian pickles)…but this looks tastier, ’cause of the toppings.
p.s. I spent half of last weekend looking through the vegetarian recipes on your site.
This is my favourite meal when I am sick! We always had this and it’s so comforting to me. BTW I made your nama chocolate-it was delicious!
The winter blues with kids. I had been passing the weeks like that too Nami. Just this weekend both kids had the same temp and were both sick at the same time after already being sick last week! We do take turns at home too. I give them soupy pasta for the sick ones too. Hope both kids are fine now.
Okayu looks like it is such a comforting dish! Although I have tasted congee many a times, I haven’t tried okayu yet. With a little umeboshi stirred into the rice, this is something I need to try (as I have also got flu after I came back from the Kodaikanal trip).
This is so interesting. I love the flavours and your photos. I’ve never seen anything like this before!
Beautiful onabe, Nami-san. Makes me want to buy one and magically repliclate your okayu even though I’m feeling well. =)
in india we have a similar rice dish. we call it rice kanji/conjee. generally had with some chutney, pickle or a side veggie dish.
Nami, thanks for the measurement, I watched my mom cooked Chinese white porridge the ‘eyeball’ way growing up. I never knew how much rice I need for 1 person and how much water, just add more water as needed or sometimes too much water.
Last night Chicago’s real feel temp was -10 F, I used your measurement 1:12 for Chinese porridge, it was spot on. Thanks!
I had it with salted duck egg, salted mustard green, fermented tofu and pickled bamboo shoot, it was heartwarming and felt very satisfied on a freezing night.
Hi Sandrine! Wow Chicago is so cold! I’m so happy to hear you made the porridge already and enjoyed it! Your topping looks so good! Such a perfect delicious meal for cold days!
That looks like a great dish to have if you are not feeling well! The flu is certainly going around here and making people miserable.
This looks so delicious and authentic, Nami! What a lovely recipe. Thanks for sharing, and have a great weekend!
I hope your daughter is feeling better…and that the rest of you stay healthy. We’ve had a few rounds of illness here as well…and we generally don’t get sick now that the kids are grown up. Rice is always an excellent option when one is sick…and I’d love it seasoned up the way you suggested as well. And what beautiful bowls and cups you received! Love them~
I used to make porridge quite a bit. I need to get back on it! Your dish is beautiful, Nami!
I feel like I want to get flu
Hope your children are feeling better now Nami. I guess a couple of day at home eating porridge without math class is the best way to cure it.
Hi Serena! Thank you so much for your kind words! My daughter is much better now and they are doing well.
Take good care!
Hope your daughter’s better now. I always cook plain porridge for myself when I’m sick and just add on a few side dishes to complete the meal. Preserved radish omelette and pickled lettuce are my two favourites.
yes I can see that the Japanese rice porridge is thicker and less liquid. Love that stuff when I have a cold, its kind of rejuvenating. =) Happy weekend nami!
Wow Nami!! If only my mum could make me food when I’m sick too!! <3 Love your rice porridge! It's so interesting that there's different water ratio for the Japanese vs Cantonese porridge! Beautiful pictures as usual! I hope your daughter is feeling much better now!
This sounds delicious Nami and filling. I love how you go into such detail for all your recipes. It takes the guess work out of everything.
Hi Nami! I hope your little girl is feeling much better now. I’ve never had rice porridge like this but it sure sounds good while recovering from a cold. Thanks for sharing.
I love porridge. I like to make TeoChew-Style of porridge where plain porridge is served with some little side dishes.
i grew up eating rice porridge almost every week and it’s one of the ultimate comfort food for me. Although there are lot of fancy Chinese ways to make porridge, I have not tried to make it in dashi or miso. I’ll definitely try it next time. Thanks for sharing it.
Nami, I like that cooking pot in which you cooked delicious porridge.
Exactly what I need to keep warm during the bleakest of winter. A homey, comforting rice porridge. I need to shop for hot pots SOON! All the toppings look delicious. I like my rice porridge with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Oh, and century eggs:)
My mama would go nuts over this!!
Nami I love your Japanese cooking pot, so pretty. Nami, I was so sick last week, again, still recovering form a nasty cold. Your rice porridge would be perfect for me. Thank you for the recipe, I will keep it in my mind.
This is common to us as well but we add chicken and ginger to it. A real good meal when you are recovering from sickness
I hope your little girl is feeling better and those bowls are really cute. I’ll keep this dish in mind for those under the weather times that always seem to happen.
Would love this soup, anytime and any day!
Mmmmm this looks so tasty, Nami! I Love anything involving rice, and always have a ton on hand, so I’ll have to try this!
Even though it does look good, just hearing the word ‘okayu’ makes me want to stay in bed…
I even had to make it once for my sick wife as that’s all she wanted to eat. But she ended up getting up to make it herself as mine was… too artistic… Next time, I’ll try your recipe and impress her.
I love rice porridge, it is such a comforting meal. I hope your daughter feeling much better after a bowl of it.
I grew up with Cantonese style rice porridge, but it really depends on my mood in order for me to choose a consistency. If I’m ill, then more watered down. If I’m healthier, thicker. =)
I love such recipe, to make you better or feel good when sick. And a pretty presentation really helps when not feeling well. This is a great easy dish to consume with a touch of flavor. Hope your daughter is better.
This reminds me of Filipino arroz caldo–it’s what we eat when we’re sick and it never fails to work. Hope your little one is back to 100% by now.
This sounds perfect for when we’re feeling blah. I wonder if Miss A would eat this. She usually doesn’t eat rice, but I think it’s more of a texture thing. Perhaps this will be the trick she needs to help her start enjoying rice. I hope your daughter is feeling better! I just hate when the kids are sick. I just want to wipe it all away and make them better. This recipe looks like a good start to that though.
Dear Nami,
I love rice porridge especially in winter and I prefer the Teo Chew style over the Cantonese one where the rice just slightly broken but already quite soft. It is like a blank canvas because it is so versatile with just about any favourite recipe that has a bit of sauce. I am tempted to eat Teo Chew porridge with its amazing variety of dishes coz we’re in Malaysia at the moment but the weather here is so hot and humid. We might buy takeaway and eat in at home in comfort though
This is one of my favorite things to eat when it’s cold out or when I’m sick! I’ve never actually made it but I think that has to change soon!
This looks so nice, and it’s served so dearly! I love your Japanese bowls, and also the way you combine them! There’s a tea shop not far from here where you can buy original Japanese dishes, some of mine are from there. I’ve been wanting to go there again for a while now. Will definitely before I move away from here!
My boyfriend is often attracted to those pre-made Asian style packaged rice or noodle dishes when he is sick. No classic chicken and noodle here. This rice porridge is a great alternative (and home made!) for when he is feeling under the weather again.
I’ve never tried okayu before but I’ve had a Filipino and Chinese version and its one of my fave recipes
This rice porridge looks so comforting and satisfying. My grandmother was from Italy and she had her own version of rice porridge that I would beg for when I was sick. Now if I have that dish it reminds me of how caring and nurturing she was. I would love to try your version….when I’m healthy!
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