glutinous rice steamed with red beans or some other ingredient（Okowa)
Rice made by steaming glutinous rice. Also called kowameshi or kowameshi. There are various types of kowameshi, such as akamame (red rice with azuki beans or kidney beans) for celebrations and happy occasions, and gomokuokokowa (rice with vegetables, wild vegetables, meat, and other ingredients). Okowa differs from takikomi-gohan in that it is made with glutinous rice instead of Uruchi rice, and steamed instead of cooked.
In the Heian period (794-1185), steamed rice was already called kowaii, and as cooked rice became common during the Edo period (1603-1868), it was called kowaii or kowameshi, mainly for steamed glutinous rice. The name “kowa” is said to have originated from a term used by a courtesan in the service of the imperial court.
