三色丼(さんしょくどん)

A compound of 三色(さんしょく) (three colors) and 丼(どん) (rice bowl). The visual appeal of three contrasting colors arranged on white rice is the defining feature. A staple of home cooking and school lunch menus in Japan.

Types

The usual toppings, by color:

• 黄(き): 炒(い)り卵(たまご) (scrambled egg)
• 茶(ちゃ): 鶏(とり)そぼろ or 豚(ぶた)そぼろ (seasoned ground chicken or pork)
• 緑(みどり): さやインゲン, ほうれん草(そう), 絹(きぬ)さや (green beans, spinach, snow peas)

Common collocations

• 三色丼(さんしょくどん)を作(つく)る: to make a three-color rice bowl
• 三色丼(さんしょくどん)弁当(べんとう): three-color bento

Related words

• そぼろ丼(どん): ground meat rice bowl — often just one or two toppings
• 親子丼(おやこどん): chicken and egg rice bowl
• 海鮮(かいせん)三色丼(さんしょくどん): seafood three-color bowl — sashimi version with three types of fish