Gyūdon

Gyūdon(牛丼, "beefbowl"), also known asgyūmeshi(牛飯 or 牛めし, "beef [and] rice"), is aJapanese dishconsisting of a bowl ofricetopped withbeefandonion, simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored withdashi(fishandseaweedstock),soy sauceandmirin(sweetrice wine). It may sometimes also be served with toppings such as raw or soft poachedeggs,negionions, gratedcheeseorkimchi. A popular food in Japan, it is commonly eaten withbeni shōga(pickled ginger),shichimi(groundchili pepper), and a side dish ofmiso soup.
After thearrival of Buddhism in Japanin the 6th century, consumption of meat became rare in Japanese culture (especially those of four-footed animals such ascattleorpigs) and in many cases frowned upon, both for religious and practical reasons. It was only after theMeiji Restorationin 1868 and the subsequent westernization of the country that meat began to be widely eaten.
Gyūdonis considered to be derived fromgyūnabe(牛鍋), a beefhot potoriginating in theKantō regionof eastern Japan.Gyūnabeoriginally consisted of cuts of beef simmered withWelsh onionsandmiso(as the beef available in Japan at the time were usually of poor quality, the meat was cooked this way to tenderize it and neutralize its foul smell), but by the late 1800s, a variation that used a specialstockcalledwarishita(割下) – a combination of a sweetener such as sugar ormirinandsoy sauce– instead of miso and featuring additional ingredients such asshirataki(konjaccut into noodle-like strips) andtofubegan to appear. This version ofgyūnabe(known today assukiyaki– originally the name of a similar yet distinct dish from theKansai region) eventually came to be served with rice in a deep bowl (donburi), becominggyūmeshiorgyūdon.
By the 1890s,gyūmeshihad already become popular in Tokyo, but was yet unknown in other places such asKyotoorOsaka. In 1899, Eikichi Matsuda opened the firstYoshinoyarestaurant, at the fish market in Tokyo'sNihonbashidistrict.Gyūdon, under the monikerkamechabu,were also being sold in food stands (yatai) in the streets ofUenoandAsakusa.
Originally disparaged as working-class food,gyūdonexperienced a surge in popularity that transcended class boundaries in the aftermath of theGreat Kantō Earthquakeof 1923, when it was one of the food items readily available to the citizens of a devastated Tokyo.It was around this time thatgyūdonevolved further into its present form: a bowl of rice topped with thin slices of beef withonions(tamanegi).
Although some establishments still offergyūdonwith asukiyaki-like topping (i.e. containing ingredients such asshiratakior tofu), the dish as served in most major food chains nowadays simply consist of rice, beef and onions.
Gyūdoncan be found in many restaurants in Japan, and somefast foodchains specialize exclusively in the dish. Many of these chain shops are open round the clock. The top threegyūdonchains in Japan areSukiya(currently the largestgyūdonchain in Japan, established inYokohamain 1981),Yoshinoya(the oldest and second largest, established in theNihonbashidistrict of what is nowChūō,Tokyoin 1899), andMatsuya(established inNerima, Tokyo in 1968).
Some of these establishments might refer togyūdonby other names: Matsuya for instance sellsgyūdonunder the namegyūmeshi(牛めし), whileHanamaru Udon(はなまるうどん), a chain specializing mainly inSanuki udon(currently asubsidiaryof Yoshinoya), includes what it callsgyūniku gohan(牛肉ごはん, lit. "beef rice") in its menu.
While many establishments charge formiso soupor offer it as a part of a set, Matsuya is known for serving complimentary miso soup for customers who are eating in.
There are chains that allow customers to specify how their gyūdon is served with code phrases liketsuyudaku(extratsuyubroth) at no extra charge.However, this service is only for people eating in the confines of the restaurant.
Tsuyudaku, in regards to gyūdon, is jargon that refers to one kind of specification where the juice and tsuyu mixture is served in large amounts.Tsuyunukiis where the amount of tsuyu is specified to be less than usual. Also, the termtsuyudakudakuis code for a larger amount of tsuyu.
Sometimes, as withtsuyudakudakudaku("dripping with soupiness"), people will request that the daku, or amount of tsuyu, be exceedingly increased.
One theory says thatdakucomes from thetakupart oftakusan("many, a lot") which, when doubled as indaku-daku, is also theonomatopoeia(imitative word) for the sound of dripping.
The origin of tsuyudaku comes from Japanese businessmen (salaryman) on their morning commute to work who, due to time restrictions, ask for extra soupy gyūdon (gyūdon tsuyu ome ni) so that they can eat it quickly.
This trend became so common, that the termtsuyudakuquickly spread among proprietors of popular gyūdon chains.
As a consequence of the fear ofmad cow diseaseand a ban on imports of beef from theUnited States, Yoshinoya and most competitors were forced to terminate gyūdon sales inJapanon 11 February 2004.Yoshinoyamoved its business to a similar dish made with pork instead of beef, which it namedbutadon(豚丼).Sukiyacontinued to serve gyūdon (usingAustralianbeef) and also added a dish,tondon, equivalent to Yoshinoya'sbutadon, to its menu. (Butaandtonare both Japanese words forpigorpork, written with the sameKanji, 豚. Seetonkatsu,tonjiru.)
TheJapanese Dietvoted to resume beef imports from the United States in early May 2005, but the ban was reinstated in January 2006 after detectable quantities of prohibited spine tissue were found in the first post-ban shipments arriving in Japan. As the issue was discussed between the United States and Japanese governments, gyūdon vendors and customers waited for a resolution. As of September 2006, the ban has been lifted.