What would happen if food from games could be made and enjoyed in real life? A collaboration between Pokemon Sleep, Japanese nutrition app Asken, and the University of Tsukuba brings recipes from the game to life. Besides being interesting, these dishes are scientifically designed to support better sleep.
Gaming and Nutrition Collaboration
Pokemon Sleep not only invites players to take care of Snorlax, but also to form healthy sleeping habits. In the game, you cook various dishes for Snorlax using nutrient-rich ingredients. This concept was extended to the real world through a partnership with Asken and the University of Tsukuba.
The research team found that sleep quality can be affected by nutritional balance, especially protein, carbohydrate, and fiber intake. Based on these findings, four selected recipes from Pokemon Sleep were adapted into real dishes that you can cook at home, with nutritionally adjusted ingredients.
Dream Eater Butter Curry
One of the featured recipes from Pokemon Sleep that you can now try for yourself is Dream Eater Butter Curry. This dish features prominently in the game and is designed for two servings. The combination of skinless chicken, fresh vegetables, turmeric rice, and the addition of dark chocolate produces a unique flavor, while supporting the body to relax more during sleep.
Materials:
Turmeric rice:
- Rice: 180 ml
- Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
- Salted butter: 10 grams
Curry and toppings:
- Skinless chicken: 180 grams, cut into small pieces
- Yogurt: 100 grams
- Grated ginger: 1 tsp
- Grated garlic: 1/2 tsp
- Curry powder: 2 tbsp
- Onions: 100 grams, chopped
- Carrots: 40 grams, cut into small pieces
- Potatoes: 150 grams, cut into small pieces
- Salted butter: 15 grams
- Canned tomatoes (blanched, sliced): 400 grams
- Water: 50 ml
- Chicken broth powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: 1/2 tsp
- Pepper: to taste
- Dark chocolate: 6 grams (1 piece for cooking, 1 piece for garnish)
- Milk: 4 tbsp + 1 tsp
- Baby leaf: 10 grams
- Cherry tomatoes: 1/4 fruit, sliced
How to make:
- Wash and soak the rice, then add it to the rice cooker along with turmeric powder and 10 grams of salted butter. Cook until done.
- Combine chicken, ginger, garlic and curry powder in a plastic bag or sealed container. Mix well, let stand for 20 minutes.
- Heat 15 grams of salted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft. Add the carrots and potatoes and stir until they are fully coated with butter.
- Add canned tomatoes, water, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Stir well and let it boil. After that, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add one piece of dark chocolate, stir until melted. Turn the heat back to low, cook for 20 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce and the sauce to thicken. Add 4 tbsp milk, stir well.
- Serve the turmeric and curry rice on plates. Garnish with baby leaves, sliced cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp milk, and remaining dark chocolate as garnish.
The tomatoes in this dish are rich in potassium, which can help with sodium excretion and maintain the body's electrolyte balance. This combination of nutrients contributes to the relaxation of the body that supports deeper sleep.
Three other recipes to try
In addition to Dream Eater Butter Curry, Pokemon Sleep also features three other recipes that have been adapted:
- Limber Corn Stew: Creamy corn soup with added protein
- Mimosa Salad: Fresh salad with a colorful look
- Yogurt Salad: Light yogurt-based menu for dinner
Each recipe is designed to be not only visually appealing like in the game, but also nutritionally balanced. You can access all the recipes on Asken's official website via this link-Unfortunately, this page is only available in Japanese, so you may need the help of an automatic translator when reading it.
Collaboration Background
This collaboration stems from research by the University of Tsukuba that examined the relationship between diet and sleep quality. The results showed that a lack of nutrients such as protein and fiber can disrupt the sleep cycle. From these findings, Asken then developed recipes that previously only appeared in Pokemon Sleep to be made and consumed in the real world with benefits that remain relevant.
This initiative exemplifies how games can contribute to everyday life, especially in building healthy habits through a fun and interactive approach.
