What's the point of a bento box?

Table of Contents:

1. What's the point of a bento box?
2. Do bento boxes need to be refrigerated?
3. Is a Bento box the same as a lunch box?
4. Are all bento boxes the same?
5. How do I choose a bento box?
6. How big should a bento box be?
7. Do bento boxes stain?
8. Do you eat onigiri hot or cold?
9. Do Japanese reheat rice?
10. Do you eat onigiri with your hands?
11. How do you shape onigiri by hand?
12. Why is onigiri triangle?
13. What kind of rice do you use for onigiri?

What's the point of a bento box?

The bento box covers all the essential food groups from fruits, grains, dairy, vegetables and protein – making for a well-balanced meal. We'll take a closer look at what the bento box is and how it evolved into the popular lunch option that it is today.

Do bento boxes need to be refrigerated?

Since rice is not to be eaten cold, and the okazu are usually prepared with a fair amount of salt or soy sauce, your bento doesn't have to be refrigerated.

Is a Bento box the same as a lunch box?

Essentially there is no difference between a box you pack for lunch, and a bento box, since basically a bento (for lunch) is Japanese for a lunch box!

Are all bento boxes the same?

Bento boxes are designed with a single serving meal in mind, but can still vary in size.

How do I choose a bento box?

The requirements for a bento box

1. The container should be as leakproof as possible. ...
2. The container should be easy to wash and take care of. ...
3. The container should be microwave safe if you intend to nuke it. ...
4. The container should be the right size for your dietary needs.

How big should a bento box be?

The Small-medium size is typically 600-700 ml, roughly holding 600-700kcal of food. The large size is about 800-900ml, which contains about 800-900kcal of food. When choosing a bento box for yourself or someone else, think about how much food you would need for a sufficient meal.

Do bento boxes stain?

For lovers of spices and sauces of all kinds, some can stain your lunch box. Rinse quickly after use.

Do you eat onigiri hot or cold?

Unfortunately, onigiri are served cold at convenience stores, leading to an important discovery — fat congeals when it's cold (wow!). This leads to a very greasy, chunky texture sometimes, like biting through small chunks of frozen or cold butter.

Do Japanese reheat rice?

If you have a container like them, fill it with cooked rice and properly shut the lid while the rice is still hot. When the rice becomes cool to room temperature, freeze it. ... Either way, reheat the rice with a microwave before you eat it.

Do you eat onigiri with your hands?

Onigiri is finger food, eaten with one's hands. You do not need to use chopsticks. ... Onigiri typically has a filling: some popular choices are salmon, tuna, and konbu (kelp).

How do you shape onigiri by hand?

Wet your hands to keep the sushi rice from sticking to them. Spread a palmful (or less, depending on how big you want the onigiri to be) of warm sushi rice into one hand. Place the filling in the center. Fold up the rice around the filling and pack the rice tightly with both hands into a triangular shape.

Why is onigiri triangle?

Onigiris actually come in four different shapes but the triangle is the most common. Legend has it that travellers moulded rice balls into the shape of a mountain as a way of asking for protection from kami (spirits), which were believed by Shintoists to live within every element in nature.

What kind of rice do you use for onigiri?

The best rice for making onigiri is short-grain Japonica “Koshihikari”. This Japanese rice is available from Japanese/Asian grocery stores and also you can get this rice from major supermarkets in Australia. The brand is Sun rice. Now because this type of rice also used for making sushi, it may be labeled sushi rice.