Hinamatsuri, also known as ‘Doll's Day’ or ‘Girls' Day’, is a traditional Japanese celebration that is held annually on the 3rd of March.
It is a festival dedicated to the health and well-being of young females and is rooted in the Shinto tradition of ‘Nagashi-hina’, which dates back over 1000 years to the country’s Heian period. During this time, families would construct simple dolls from paper and other natural materials, place them on boats, and release them into rivers to be submerged by the current. It was believed the ritual washed away bad luck and misfortune and is mirrored in today’s Hinamatsuri traditions in which families with young female members create intricate displays of ornate ceramic dolls (and often, sprigs of peach blossoms), and celebrate with traditional Japanese dishes such as rice cake cubes and Chirashi sushi.
For us here at Snow Peak, Hinamatsuri marks the beginning of spring and is a means of channelling hope and positivity for females of all ages across the globe.
This year, we encourage you to embrace the spirit of this unique festivity, to go outside and celebrate with your loved ones. To help, we’re sharing our resident chef Hideko’s recipe for Chirashi Sushi, a delicious dish packed with flavour and nutrition.
Chirashi sushi Recipe:
Sushi Rice
- 360g Japanese rice
- 430ml water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Omelette strips
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons cooking sake
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- A pinch of salt
Topping
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 thinly sliced carrot
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking sake
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 6 snow peas boiled in salt water
- 6 prawns boiled in salt water
- Shredded nori seaweed
- White sesame seeds
- Sashimi (Optional)
For the Sushi Vinegar: Combine the vinegar ingredients in a saucepan and heat slowly untill the sugar has completely dissolved.
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the omelette strips: Whisk the eggs and add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl. Heat the oil in a skillet, and pour in the egg mixture just enough so that it covers the bottom of the skillet and makes a thin crepe-like omelette.
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons cooking sake
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- A pinch of salt
For dried shiitake mushrooms: Soak in 2 cups of warm water until they are hydrated and tender (set aside the water for later). Cut off their stems and slice thinly. Heat 2 cups of the water (that you used to hydrate the shitake) in a skillet with the shiitake, thinly sliced carrot, soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin, and sugar. Cook to simmer on low heat until the liquid is almost gone.
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 thinly sliced carrot
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking sake
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
Mix the rice, sushi vinegar, sesame, shiitake mushrooms and carrots, place on a party plate, and decorate with omelette strips, prawns, snow peas and shredded nori seaweed.
Serve and celebrate!
If you would like to know how to cook the perfect rice, click here. Pictured here using our Party Plate.
