Autumn in Japan, known as “aki” (秋), brings a bounty of seasonal ingredients deeply cherished in Japanese cuisine. The cooler temperatures and changing colors of nature inspire autumn bento recipes that highlight rich, hearty flavors.
Autumn ingredients include: various types of fish like sanma, salmon, mushrooms (such as matsutake mushrooms), kabocha (pumpkin), satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato), chestnuts, ginko tree fruit, and much more.
Umami-Rich Autumn Bento Ideas
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Grilled Sanma Bento
Pacific saury, or sanma, is a fish that is in season during autumn. It’s rich and oily, perfect for grilling with salt or grated daikon and soy sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 Pacific saury (sanma)
- Salt (for grilling)
- 1 slice of lemon or sudachi (Japanese lime)
- 1 small kabocha
- 1 satsumaimo
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
For the grilled sanma
- Clean the sanma and pat it dry.
- Sprinkle salt generously on both sides and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Grill the sanma on medium heat until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked (around 5–7 minutes per side).
- Squeeze lemon or sudachi over the grilled sanma before placing it in the bento.
For the simmered Kabocha (pumpkin)
- Cut the kabocha into small slices or cubes, leaving the skin on.
- Simmer in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until tender (about 15 minutes).
For the glazed Satsumaimo
- Cut the sweet potato into rounds or wedges.
- Boil the sweet potato until tender, then glaze with soy sauce, mirin, and a bit of sugar by cooking in a pan until the sauce thickens and coats the sweet potato.
Assemble the fish, kabocha and satsumaimo for the perfect autumn bento.
Chestnut Rice
Chestnut rice is a classic autumn dish that, despite being time-consuming due to the task of peeling chestnuts, is well worth the effort. The rich, nutty flavor of the chestnuts makes this dish truly delightful.
Ingredients
- 1 cup shinmai (new rice)
- 10–12 chestnuts (kuri)
- 1 small piece of kombu (kelp)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 small kabocha (for tempura)
- Tempura batter mix and oil (for frying)
- A handful of green beans (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the rice and let it soak for 30 minutes and drain it carefully.
- Peel the chestnuts and cut them into quarters.
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker, adding the chestnuts, a small piece of kombu, and a pinch of salt. Use the standard water-to-rice ratio for your rice cooker.
- Once cooked, remove the kombu and fluff the rice with a rice paddle.
Rice With Mushrooms and Abura Age
This dish, known as “takikomi gohan” (炊き込みご飯), is a flavorful Japanese mixed rice dish cooked with seasonal ingredients like mushrooms and aburaage (fried tofu). It’s a simple yet savory dish perfect for autumn when mushrooms are at their peak.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice
- 1 sheet of aburaage (fried tofu)
- 100g mushrooms (shiitake, shimeji, maitake, or a mix of your choice)
- 1 small carrot (optional, julienned)
- 1/2 cup dashi stock (or water with dashi powder)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well and let the rice sit in a strainer for about 30 minutes. This helps the rice absorb more flavor when cooking.
- Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove excess oil, then pat dry. Cut the aburaage into thin strips.
- Prepare the mushrooms: you can use shiitake, shimeji, maitake, or a mix of your choice. Clean the mushrooms and slice them thinly. If using shimeji or maitake, break them into smaller clusters.
- Mix the dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt in a small bowl. This will be the seasoning for the rice.
- Place the washed rice into a rice cooker or a heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add the dashi-seasoning mixture, ensuring the total liquid level is adjusted to the rice cooker’s water mark for 2 cups of rice (or slightly above the rice level in a pot).
- Top the rice with the sliced mushrooms, aburaage, and carrot (if using). Spread them evenly over the rice, but do not mix them into the rice at this stage.
- If using a rice cooker, simply start the regular cooking cycle.
- If using a pot, cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for another 10 minutes.
- Once the rice is cooked, gently mix the mushrooms, aburaage, and rice together using a rice paddle or spoon, fluffing the rice as you go.
- Serve the mixed rice in individual bowls, garnishing with chopped green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Salmon and Mushroom Ankake Bento
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Salmon is one of the most popular fish in the Japanese diet, as it pairs well with a variety of dishes. While it’s commonly sold as fillets and readily available year-round, many may not know that salmon caught in Japan has two peak seasons: spring and autumn. The flavor of the salmon can also vary depending on the season, offering a distinct taste experience throughout the year.
Ankake is a Japanese dish featuring a thick, savory sauce made from dashi, soy sauce, and starch, poured over vegetables, tofu, or fish. In this recipe, we’re using salmon as the main ingredient. It’s a light yet flavorful dish, perfect for enjoying seasonal vegetables with crispy salmon.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 2 salmon fillets
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (for marinating)
- 1 tbsp sake (for marinating)
- 1 tbsp flour or potato starch (for coating the salmon)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1/2 carrot (thinly sliced)
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
- 1/2 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup snow peas or green beans (blanched)
- 1/2 block of firm tofu (optional, cut into cubes)
For the Ankake Sauce
- 1 cup dashi stock (can use instant dashi powder mixed with water)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch (mixed with 1 tbsp water to make a slurry)
Instructions
- Marinate the salmon: place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish. Add soy sauce and sake. Let them marinate for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- While the salmon marinate, slice the carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and onion. Blanch the snow peas or green beans in boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
- To prepare the ankake sauce, combine dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the sliced carrots, mushrooms, and onions to the sauce. Cook until the vegetables are tender (about 3–5 minutes).
- Stir in the potato starch (or cornstarch) slurry slowly, and continue stirring until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the salmon: Pat the marinated salmon dry and coat lightly with flour or potato starch.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, fry the salmon fillets for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked through.
Savor the Flavors of Autumn with a Seasonal Japanese Bento
These recipes offer a great variety of flavors and textures, perfect for an autumn-inspired bento box that celebrates Japan’s seasonal ingredients!
More reads:
- Living Seasonally: Delicious Autumn Vegetables in Japan
- Places to Visit This Year in Japanese Autumn to Avoid the Crowds
- Japanese Bento 101: The 5 Types of Bento Boxes
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