Name: Negitorodon (ネギトロ丼, minced tuna and scallion rice bowl)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 rice-cooker cup (180ml/about 150g) Japanese short-grain rice; 200ml water, or to your rice cooker's sushi-rice line; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 220g tuna sold for raw eating, preferably nakaochi or fatty tuna trim, kept very cold; 2 scallions (negi), white and pale green parts finely chopped; 1 small sheet nori, cut into thin strips; 2 tablespoons soy sauce, for serving; 1 teaspoon freshly grated wasabi, or prepared wasabi, for serving; Japanese pickles, such as takuan, for serving

Question 1

What tuna should I use for negitorodon?

Accepted Answer

Use 220g tuna sold for raw eating, preferably nakaochi or fatty tuna trim kept very cold. Nakaochi, the flesh scraped from tuna bones, gives negitorodon its traditional soft texture. Toro, chutoro, or good akami with some fat also work when handled for raw serving.

Question 2

How do I mince tuna for negitoro without turning it into paste?

Accepted Answer

Slice cold tuna thinly first, then chop it by hand with a sharp knife until the tuna is coarse, soft, and just sticky enough to hold together. Stop while small pieces remain visible. Overchopping warms the tuna, smears the fat, and makes negitoro pasty.

Question 3

Can I make negitorodon ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

Make the vinegar, sugar, and salt seasoning up to 1 week ahead and refrigerate it. Seasoned sushi rice can sit covered with a damp cloth at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Mince the raw tuna only just before serving and keep it below 40F or 4C.

Question 4

What can I use instead of a hangiri for negitorodon rice?

Accepted Answer

Use a wide shallow nonreactive bowl instead of a hangiri for negitorodon rice. Turn the hot Japanese short-grain rice into the bowl, drizzle with rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt, then fold with cutting strokes. The goal is glossy coated grains, not mashed rice.

Question 5

Why should soy sauce be served on the side for negitorodon?

Accepted Answer

Serve soy sauce on the side because salt draws water from raw minced tuna quickly. Adding soy sauce at the table keeps the negitoro mound clean, bright, and softly textured. Touch each bite with a small amount of soy sauce instead of marinating the tuna.

Question 6

How warm should the rice be for negitorodon?

Accepted Answer

Use vinegared Japanese short-grain rice that is glossy and only gently warm for negitorodon. Hot rice wilts raw tuna and can cook the edges, while refrigerator-cold rice turns hard. Cool the seasoned rice by spreading and folding it before building the bowls.

Culinary Explorer

Negitorodon (ネギトロ丼, minced tuna and scallion rice bowl)

Ingredients

Japanese short-grain rice

water

rice vinegar

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
Japanese short-grain ricerinsed	1 rice-cooker cup (180ml/about 150g)
water	200ml, or to the sushi-rice line
rice vinegar	2 tablespoons