Thick Rice Soup with Chicken, Chives, and Ginger

The word ojiya, in Japanese, has motherly overtones; being served it means you’re being well cared for. In the wintertime in Japan, this porridgelike dish is made by many a woman for her husband and children, since the soothing soup is thought to relieve all manner of symptoms from overindulgence at an office party to the loss of appetite that often comes with the common cold. In that respect, I guess this thick rice soup is the Japanese equivalent of Western chicken soup, which is t