How to Make Kyushoku (Japanese School Lunch Recipe)

Prepare all the ingredients.

Wash the rice and drain the water. Add the mirin and cooking sake, then pour in water until it reaches the two-cup measurement line. Add the salt and gently stir to combine. Start the rice cooker.

While the rice is steaming, soak the dried wakame seaweed in enough water to let it absorb moisture for about 10 minutes. Once fully hydrated, drain thoroughly and finely chop into small pieces.

When the rice is done, gently fluff it from the bottom to mix the flavors evenly. Add the finely chopped wakame and combine well.

To prepare juicy and crispy chicken karaage, start by trimming excess fat and cutting chicken thighs into six pieces each; avoid cutting too small to retain moisture.

Marinate the chicken in a plastic bag with soy sauce, cooking sake, sesame oil, chicken stock powder, grated ginger, and garlic. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once marinated, add all-purpose flour directly to the bag and rub to coat evenly. Next, spread the chicken on a tray and lightly dust with potato starch for added crispiness.

Heat enough oil in a pot to 180°C, checking the temperature by inserting chopsticks; small bubbles will indicate readiness. Deep-fry the chicken for about 5 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Use draining rack and drain on a rack before serving.

Kenchinziru is one of the famous shijin-ryouri dishes. If you want to make a vegan-style kenchinziru, use the dashi soup stock made with dried kombu seaweed and dried shiitake mushrooms. Cut the ingredients, as shown in the pictures.

Prepare a pot with sesame oil and add the root vegetables (daikon radish, carrot, and burdock root). Heat it over medium heat for about 1 minute until each vegetable is coated with oil, then add the salt to taste and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. 

Then, add the rest of the ingredients. For the firm tofu, break it into random-sized pieces with a spatula. Add the dashi soup stock and simmer with a lid until cooked.

Once cooked, add the soy sauce and mirin. Heat for about 1 more minute, gently stirring to evenly mix.

While this recipe uses cabbage, you can also make ohitashi with other leafy greens like spinach. Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the cabbage, and boil briefly. Drain and cool under cold running water, then gently squeeze to remove excess moisture.

Transfer to a bowl, add dried bonito flakes and soy sauce, and mix gently to combine.

Canned fruits like mikan oranges and pineapple are commonly used, but apples, bananas, and kiwis also work well.

Prepare a small pot with the water and sugar. Heat it over medium heat with stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and cool in a bowl until room temperature. When cooled, add the fruits and transfer the bowl to the fridge.

While the syrup and fruits are cooling, prepare the shiratama. In a bowl, add shiratama powder and gradually mix in water until the texture feels like an earlobe. Once the dough reaches the right consistency, divide it into about 8g portions and shape into small round balls.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the shiratama. They will sink at first, then float to the surface after about 2 minutes. Once floating, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool.

After boiling, drain the shiratama and combine with the fruit punch in one bowl.

Prepare all dishes on a plate. A 200ml pack of milk is a must for Japanese kyushoku, regardless of the main dish, whether it’s bread, rice, pasta, or noodles, milk is always included

This time, I’m introducing “almond fish” which is a popular snack for Japanese kyuushoku made with thinly cut almonds and sweetened small dried fish. 

Using these dishes, especially wakame gohan, karaage, and cabbage ohitashi, you can make a bento box lunch. I recommend making onigiri with wakame gohan. You can also store them in the freezer.