【Reading】ほおんじゃー

【English Name】Rice Warming Jar

A hodo-jar (warming jar) is a metal container that keeps cooked rice warm after cooking by a heating mechanism such as electric heating wires. The term "jar" comes from the English word jar (a wide-mouthed bottle), but the usage to mean an ohitsu (rice tub) or thermos equipped with a warming function is unique to Japan.

In Japan of old, the practice of transferring cooked rice into a wooden rice tub (ohitsu) for storage was established. In 1965, Zojirushi Thermos Bottle introduced the electric "denshi jar" to the market, making electric-powered rice warming a reality. The following year, in 1967, Mitsubishi Electric released a product combining cooking and warming in one unit, after which it spread widely into households under the name "jar rice cooker."

The temperature range during warming is set to roughly 60-75°C in many models. At the sushi-shop worksite, it is basic to form the nigiri with the shari at about body temperature, and post-cooking temperature management is the deciding factor of taste. At high-end shops and ryotei (traditional restaurants), the old-fashioned method of removing excess moisture from the rice in a plain-wood ohitsu is still cherished. In contrast, at conveyor-belt sushi chains and large-volume kitchens, warming jars and rice cookers with warming functions are prized for efficient temperature control.