is a dish popular in Japan as a Western-style dish, or yōshoku. It usually contains beef, onions, and button mushrooms in a thick demi-glace sauce often made with red wine and tomato sauce. This sauce is served atop or alongside steamed rice. The sauce is sometimes topped with a drizzle of fresh cream. Variants of the recipe sometimes include soy sauce and sake.
History
There are several theories about the origin of this dish and its name:
- One belief is that the name was given by , the first president of publishing company Maruzen-Yushodo. Hayashi rice is a dish he invented and prepared for his employees who studied until late at night, or for his friends and foreign clients.
- Another theory is that the name was produced by a cook named Hayashi who often served this dish for staff meals at the restaurant.
- The name Hayashi is derived from the English phrase "hashed beef".
The most popular theory is that it was created by Hayashi, the founder of Maruzen.