Ryuji Explains "Minimal Effort" and "Umami Without Umami Seasoning" with a Simmered Dish of Chicken, Quail Eggs and Konjac

The video begins with Ryuji complaining that "nobody notices when I change something." Ryuji had their teeth whitened, yet no one mentioned it at all in the comments. According to Ryuji, this isn't ordinary whitening but something applied over the surface of the teeth, which can be removed if it bothers you. An acquaintance had white teeth, so Ryuji asked how they did it and gave it a try. Only the front sides became white; the backs haven't changed color. Ryuji explains that they have a snaggletooth and didn't want braces, but the covering could go over the snaggletooth as well.

When A-ko teases Ryuji about caring about beauty, Ryuji answers to the effect that "middle-aged men are judged harshly just for existing, so unless you keep your appearance tidy to some degree, you can't survive in society," and says that looking clean is important. Ryuji then adds that really, people are telling them to fix the alignment of their teeth. A-ko responds that the stress of orthodontic treatment probably wouldn't suit Ryuji.

The talk about teeth continues during the cooking. Ryuji recalls that when they first debuted, people said things about their teeth "to the point where I wanted to die," going as far as writing "Don't put someone like this on TV" and "People with crooked teeth shouldn't cook." However, Ryuji says it didn't bother them because they don't think of themselves as good-looking anyway. A-ko says that reactions like that are why they don't want to show their face, and that such reactions also lower their motivation for work.

Later on, Ryuji says that recently no one says anything about the teeth at all, and guesses that viewers have gotten used to them. As for why Ryuji doesn't fix the teeth, Ryuji says it's simply because their mother says she "loves Ryuji's teeth," and that's all. Ryuji further analyzes that the people who recommend braces are often those who paid a lot of money for their own orthodontic treatment, and seem to feel, "I got braces, so why are you on screen without getting them?" A-ko responds that they had an acquaintance who said that, because they had done it themselves, they couldn't help noticing other people's teeth.

On the other hand, Ryuji says that having gotten used to comments about their appearance, they're actually grateful when people write "you've gotten fat," because it makes them think they need to lose weight when they really have gained it.

Partway through the cooking, there is a scene where A-ko explains their voice. The first time, A-ko caught a cold and then hurt their throat at karaoke; that healed, but then they caught a cold a second time and ultimately developed asthma. A-ko says their voice is still nasal, and some people may find it hard to listen to, but they will try their best to speak as clearly as possible. Ryuji says that from their perspective it has gotten much better, and asks viewers not to say too much about the voice, since A-ko isn't as mentally tough as Ryuji.

The cooking begins with preparing the konjac. To help it absorb flavor, Ryuji used to pound konjac. But pounding is noisy and sometimes gets called a nuisance to the neighbors, so Ryuji came up with another method: pressing down on the konjac with your fingers while it's still in its bag, breaking up the inside. When you take it out of the bag and cut it, you can see that the inside has crumbled finely. If any parts aren't broken up enough, just press some more. Ryuji says that since learning this method, their opinion of konjac has gone up.

Next, the broken-up konjac is torn into pieces with a spoon. This makes the surfaces uneven, so they absorb flavor even more easily. There's also mention of the konjac's smell: someone once explained in the comments what substance causes it, but Ryuji has forgotten.

The torn konjac goes into a colander and is rubbed and rinsed. At this stage it barely smells at all, but it's washed just in case. Ryuji explains that boiling water specially is a hassle, so hot water from the tap is fine.

The chicken thigh is first cut in half, then cut with the knife held at an angle (sogi-giri). Ryuji says this is how they always cut it for simmered dishes. This time, it's cut on the small side so that it's easy to eat together with the quail eggs and konjac.

When A-ko asks whether Ryuji is going to remove the sinew, Ryuji says no, because the sinew is tasty. You can remove it if it bothers you, but Ryuji's view is that home cooking doesn't need unnecessary effort.

From the topic of sinew, Ryuji talks about the difference between home cooking and restaurant cooking. If you're aiming to become a chef, you'd be better off watching a chef's channel, but if you want to get better at home cooking, you should watch a culinary researcher. It's not a question of which is tastier; cooking at home and cooking in a restaurant are different things, and Ryuji explains that their goal is "to bring out the best flavor with the minimum effort."

Ryuji regularly recommends watching various channels besides their own. Even so, Ryuji says a great many people come back to Ryuji's channel after trying others. The reason Ryuji gives is cost-effectiveness: if you keep cooking at home every day, Ryuji's approach is the least strain.

No oil goes into the frying pan; the chicken is cooked skin-side down. Ryuji says fat comes out of the chicken skin, so there's no need to start with sesame oil or the like.

Once the chicken is cooked through, the konjac is added and cooked so it gets coated in the chicken fat. Konjac contains a lot of water, and cooking off that moisture makes it easier for the seasonings added later to soak in. Ryuji explains that the uneven surfaces not only absorb flavor more easily but also improve the texture when you eat them. The quail eggs aren't added yet at this stage, and they don't need to be cooked in the pan.

For the seasonings, first 2 tablespoons of sake are added for umami, then 2 tablespoons of mirin, with the alcohol cooked off, followed by 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Ryuji says these seasonings alone are basically enough to make it delicious. At this point, all of the boiled quail eggs from 2 packs go in. No dashi is added; it's simmered in the stock that comes out of the chicken.

Next, about 1.5 teaspoons of sugar are added. According to Ryuji, the reason old simmered-dish recipes contain a lot of sugar is that in the days before umami seasoning and today's granulated dashi, using plenty of sugar let sweetness stand in for umami.

Then 2 pinches of dried red chili (takanotsume) go in. Ryuji likes to finish it slightly spicy, but households with children can leave it out. Ryuji says that unlike chicken eggs, quail eggs are small, so they absorb flavor quickly.

Water could be added at this point, but Ryuji decides it's better to make it as iri-ni (a simmer-reduce). Instead, 1 more tablespoon each of sake and mirin is added, for a total of 3 tablespoons each. Simmering in a small amount of liquid helps the flavor soak in. Over medium heat it bubbles away, and the quail eggs already have color.

Ryuji says this episode is about showing how delicious a dish can be without umami seasoning, using only the potential of the chicken. However, this doesn't mean Ryuji rejects umami seasoning. Ryuji's position is that it's better to know both ways: without it and with it. Ryuji says it's a waste to have seasonings you can't use, and thinks the best cooks are those who can make use of all kinds of seasonings.

Ryuji then explains that the reason they feature dishes with umami seasoning so often is that hardly anyone besides Ryuji puts them out there. Still, Ryuji says you can make plenty of delicious food without it.

The 2 tablespoons of soy sauce provide plenty of flavor, but at the end Ryuji adds a pinch of salt. After tasting the chicken once, Ryuji adds this salt as an adjustment for people who want it to go a little better with rice.

Ryuji says people who make several side dishes probably don't need this salt. Ryuji basically eats rice with just one dish, so they make that one dish more strongly seasoned rather than making several. If you have lots of side dishes, you end up taking in that much more salt. So Ryuji seasons on the stronger side so that one plate is satisfying, without assuming any side dishes. As background, Ryuji mentions that their mother always made meals of at most about two dishes. The idea is that if you're eating a single dish, slightly more salt makes it more satisfying.

If you want a richer flavor, add 2 pinches of katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Ryuji notes that this is also umami, and explains that it boosts the umami and makes the flavor more complex. You can make it with just the umami of the chicken, or you can add katsuobushi. A-ko also reacts that adding it completely changes the aroma.

The katsuobushi used this time is a powdered one that Ryuji sells. Since katsuobushi clings to the ingredients while absorbing liquid, even with a short simmering time, the flavor-soaked katsuobushi coats all the ingredients and gives them a solid taste.

When asked whether it's good for bento, Ryuji says it is, because it has no liquid. If you're putting it in a bento, it's fine as long as you cook off the liquid completely and season it on the strong side.

Ryuji says it hasn't even been 10 minutes of simmering. The konjac is the hardest to get flavor into, so Ryuji tastes it, and the flavor has already soaked in. Ryuji explains this is also thanks to breaking it up into jagged pieces.

Finally the heat is turned up and it's reduced until almost no liquid remains. The idea is that this concentrated liquid is what you eat your rice with. If you'd added water, you should simmer it longer, but this time Ryuji prioritized soaking the ingredients in the chicken's umami and keeping the meat's texture over making the chicken fall-apart tender.

According to Ryuji, even though no umami seasoning was added at all, it tastes as if some was used. That's because the chicken's umami has been reduced and concentrated. Conversely, simmered dishes with lots of liquid won't taste good unless you add granulated dashi, bonito dashi, kombu dashi or the like. Ryuji concludes that if you understand why umami seasoning is needed and why food can be delicious without it, you'll be able to make both kinds of dishes.

Saying there are too few vegetables, Ryuji makes zucchini namul while the rice is warming. Half a zucchini is simply chopped raw and tossed with Aji-Shio and sesame oil. Ryuji says zucchini is best raw, and that although it's often compared to eggplant, it's tastier than cucumber. The longer it sits, the more the flavor soaks in, but this time it's eaten right away.

A-ko, who hadn't eaten much raw zucchini, is surprised that it's this good and says it could work as a make-ahead dish. Ryuji says it can be made ahead, and that the channel values things that are useful in viewers' daily lives, so it features things like this too.

Ryuji puts the simmered dish on rice and eats it. A-ko says it's "the taste I was looking for," that the balance of sweet and savory is just right, and that they really understand the point of breaking up the konjac finely. Ryuji emphasizes that it isn't too sweet, saying their cooking has moved away from the sweet-and-savory style. By reducing it to bring out the chicken's umami, no umami seasoning is needed. When Ryuji asks if anything is lacking, A-ko answers, "No."

What surprised A-ko most was the konjac. Even though it was made quickly, the flavor has soaked in as if it had marinated overnight. A-ko says they thought simmered dishes only took on flavor after cooling, but this has soaked in so well that there's no need. Ryuji replies that with a low-liquid simmered dish like this one, there's no need to let it sit or cool. Ryuji even says the konjac is practically the star.

On why it absorbs flavor so well, Ryuji again gives two reasons: breaking it up, and cooking off the moisture. Konjac that has lost its moisture tries to soak up liquid, so it really draws in the concentrated chicken umami. Ryuji also explains that because umami is added with the katsuobushi, this level of sweetness is enough. The only fat is from the chicken and there isn't a lot of sugar, so Ryuji says it's fairly healthy. Without the chili, Ryuji says kids would probably love the flavor too.

After eating, Ryuji says that although they tend to do unconventional recipes, they also do classics, and since they'll make simmered dishes any number of times, viewers should write in requests even if it's a long shot. A-ko is the only staff member who makes requests, and since Ryuji likes cooking for people, Ryuji ends up granting them.

When A-ko says videos of classic dishes like this might do well, Ryuji is skeptical, wondering if they're too plain. However, Ryuji says that recently there's been a phenomenon where the plain recipes made with A-ko get an extraordinary number of likes. Ryuji guesses that because they force their energy up in regular videos, videos with an everyday feel like this might be relaxing. A-ko also relays that many viewers say this format is their favorite, apparently because they enjoy the conversation.

Ryuji says the channel is in its seventh or eighth year, with more than 3,000 recipes. Dishes have all been done already, and viewers may not really need to watch anymore, yet Ryuji wants to show gratitude to those who still choose to watch by introducing recipes that are delicious and useful. Like this time's zucchini namul, something that would normally get its own video is slipped in every time precisely because of this format, as something viewers might be able to use somewhere.

Finally, A-ko asks viewers to leave comments, even about trivial things, because they're encouraging. Ryuji says "even 'get braces' is fine," then immediately adds "I won't," and the video ends.