Types and Sizes of Japanese Bowls

In Japan there are the following types according to size and purpose.There are no clear rules for size, so please use this as a guide.

🥣Small bowl(kobachi)

A small bowl used to serve appetizers, side dishes, salads, etc.

Kobachi size Diameter: Up to about 12 cm

-Used for
1) Salads:Suitable for serving salads such as spinach with sesame dressing, bean sprout namul, and pickled vegetables.

2) Vinegar dishes:Serve small amounts of pickles such as cucumber and wakame pickles, and red and white pickled vegetables.

3) Pickled vegetables:Serve small amounts of pickled vegetables such as lightly pickled vegetables, pickled vegetables in rice bran, and kimchi.

4) Steamed dishes:Stewed dishes such as one-person servings of nikujaga (meat and potatoes), small bowls of chikuzenni (boiled red kidney beans), and stewed hijiki (seaweed).

5) Bean dishes:Small portions of bean dishes such as boiled beans, boiled red kidney beans, and chickpea salad.

6) Appetizers:Serves one-person portions of salads, tapas and amuse-bouches as starters and small dishes.

7) Desserts:Serves single portions of desserts such as ice cream, fruit salad, jelly, and pudding.

8) Condiments:Serves condiments such as green onion, grated daikon, wasabi, and ginger.

9) Small dishes:Small dishes such as edamame (beans), olives, and nuts as snacks.

10) Rice Accompaniments:Small dishes to accompany rice, such as pickled radish, pickled plum, and tsukudani (boiled food).

Small bowls are versatile tableware that can be used to serve a variety of dishes due to their small size and convenient shape. It is very useful for serving small amounts of food such as salads, vinegar dishes, pickles, stews, appetizers, desserts, condiments, snacks, and rice accompaniments. It is useful for home dining and entertaining, and plays a role in enhancing a variety of dishes.

🥣Medium bowl (chubachi)

A medium-sized bowl suitable for serving slightly larger amounts of food such as stews and salads.

Size of medium bowl diameter: Approximately 12 cm to 21 cm

Used for

1) Steamed dishes:Suitable for serving stewed dishes such as nikujaga, chikuzenni and oden.

2) Salads:Used for salads and side dishes such as spinach with sesame dressing, steamed hijiki, and bean sprout namul.

3) Salads:Convenient for serving salads of a size that can be shared by the family.

4) Stir-fried dishes:Suitable for serving stir-fried dishes such as chinjaorousu, hachitousai, and stir-fried vegetables.

5) Fried food:Can be used to serve fried food such as fried chicken, tempura and croquettes.

6) Pickles:It is used to share pickles such as kimchi, pickled vegetables, and lightly pickled vegetables with the family.

7) Noodles:It can also be used to serve pasta dishes such as spaghetti and penne.

8) Desserts:It is used to serve desserts such as fruit punch, anmitsu and jelly.

Medium bowls are versatile tableware that can be used for a variety of dishes due to their size and shape. They are useful for family dinner tables because they can be used to serve a variety of dishes, from boiled dishes, salads, and stir-fries to salads, fried dishes, and desserts. There are a wide variety of materials and designs for tableware, so you can choose one that matches the style of the food and the table.

🥣Large bowls(obachi)

This is a serving bowl used to serve food to the whole family at once. It is often used for hot pot dishes, salads, pasta, etc.

Large bowl size: Diameter: from about 21 cm

Used for
1) Salad:Suitable for serving salad to a large number of people at once. For example, green salad, Caesar salad, potato salad, etc.

2) Pasta:Pasta dishes to share with family or parties. Large portions of pasta such as spaghetti, penne, lasagna, etc.

3) Steamed dishes:Used to serve stewed dishes such as stew, curry, and chili con carne.

4) Stir-fried dishes:Convenient for serving large quantities of stir-fried dishes such as chinjaorousu, hachitousai and stir-fried vegetables.

5) Hot pot dishes:Used to serve ingredients and soup for hot pot dishes at once. For example, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and yosenabe.

6) Fried dishes:Suitable for serving large amounts of fried food, such as fried chicken, tempura, and French fries.

7) Rice dishes:Used to serve large portions of seasoned rice, pilaf, fried rice, etc.

8) Desserts:Used to serve desserts for large groups, such as fruit punch, trifle, and punch bowl cake.

9) Salads and pickles:Used to serve large quantities of salads, such as sesame dressing, pickled vegetables, and kimchi, to be shared by the whole family.

10) Sushi:Used to serve ingredients for chirashi sushi and hand-rolled sushi.

Large bowls are ideal for serving large amounts of food or dishes to be shared by the whole family due to their size and depth. They are versatile dishes that can be used for a variety of purposes such as salads, pasta, stews, stir-fries, hot pot dishes, fried foods, rice dishes and desserts. They are very convenient for use at home and at parties, and are used in a variety of ways depending on the type of food and the occasion.

🥣Other bowls

Donburi:A deep bowl for serving rice, noodles, soup, etc. For example, it is used for ramen bowls and oyakodon.

Chawan:A small bowl for serving rice, also called a chawan.

Matcha bowl:A tea bowl used for preparing matcha tea. It is one of the matcha utensils and is characterized by its wide and deep shape.

In Japan, tableware that is equivalent to a "bowl" is called by different names depending on its use and shape. In particular, the word "hachi" is widely used, and bowls are finely classified according to size and use, such as small bowls, medium bowls, and large bowls. By choosing the right bowl for cooking or eating, you can enjoy beautiful presentation and comfortable eating.