Wild Springtime Japanese 7-Herb Rice Porridge

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Adam Berkelmans

Managing Editor at Harvesting Nature

Adam Berkelmans, also known as The Intrepid Eater, is a passionate ambassador for real food and a proponent of nose to tail eating. He spends his time between Ottawa and a cozy lake house north of Kingston, Ontario. When not cooking, he can be found hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to find and eat food.

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This simple rice porridge recipe, inspired by similar dishes hailing from the mountainous regions of Japan, is the perfect thing to make for lunch after a spring stroll when you return home with pockets full of foraged vernal odds and ends. This dish relies more on the combination of herbs (seven different types to keep it traditional) than any one major ingredient.

Due to its simplicity (really nothing but rice, water, salt, and foraged herbs/greens), the subtle flavors of each added element really shines through the silky smooth base of stewed rice. This is spring time foraged elegance at its best!

(pictured above, in order from left to right: goutweed, wild leek, chickweed, dock, dandelion, trout lily, and stinging nettle)

Serves: 4
Time to make: 45 minutes

Looking for more brothy rice ideas? Try out Justin Townsend’s Braised Duck Soupy Rice with Chopped Greens and Mushrooms recipe!

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Wild Springtime Japanese 7-Herb Porridge

Recipe by Adam Berkelmans

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Wild Recipes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sushi short grain rice

• 4 cups water

• 7 quite small bunches of wild spring herbs (such as: goutweed, ramps, chickweed, curled dock, nettle, trout lily, dandelion, etc.)

• Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

• Salt to taste

Preparation

• Wash rice well, rinsing until the water runs mostly clear.
• Add the washed rice to a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce to slow simmer, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
• Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl nearby with ice cold water. Blanch the wild herbs by boiling them in the water for 1 minute. Transfer the greens to the bowl of cold water to stop them from cooking. Shocking them like this also preserves their bright green colors.
• Chop the greens finely, then add them to rice once it has become soft and silky. Add salt to taste, garnish with sesame, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
  
  

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