Let's enjoy ONIGIRI!!!

Hello, everyone!!

Yesterday,

i ate ONIGIRI for the lunch, and

i'll tell you how to enjoy ONIGIRI in Japan!!

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What's ONIGIRI!?!?

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Onigiri is a rice ball of triangular or round shape, which is one of Japanese traditional, famous, popular food.

It is often wrapped in the NORI(seaweed), and the rice often includes some fillings.

It may be a bit like Sushi.

It's easy to make it, and take it,

so we can take it out for picnics, or eat it while studying, or anytime.

It may be just like sandwiches in Western countries.

If you like Japanese Manga or Anime, you might saw it :)

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Onigiri with variations

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There are simple onigiri which is made of rice, and only salt.

In the other way, sometimes we make onigiri with prepared/cooked rice.

◼︎Yukari rice is the rice with the minced red perilla, which is used for making Ume-boshi(Japanese apricot).

◼︎Sekihan is the glutinous rice with red beans. 

◼︎Cha-han is the Chinese-style fried rice.

◼︎Gomoku rice is the rice seasoned with soy-sauce and boiled with meat or seafoods.

◼︎Wakame rice is the rice with Wakame (kind of seaweed).

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Various fillings are available!!!

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i think that there are no supermarkets and convenience-stores without onigiri in japan. So you may try to eat it, when you visit Japan.

But, there are various fillings for onigiri, and some of that has the taste which you aren't familliar with.

So i made ONIGIRI MAP for you to enjoy onigiri in japan.

Let's take a look :)

◼︎Ume-boshi(Japanese plum) is very sour. i want you to feel japanese traditional taste, but it has strange taste.

It's better to eat Ume-boshi and rice at a same time. 

◼︎Mentaiko and ◼︎Ikura are seasoned cod-roe and salmon-roe.

i like it, but some of you can't stand it.

◼︎Okaka is dried bonito flakes, and

◼︎Takana is pickled mustard leaf

◼︎Konbu is seasoned seaweed

These are seasoned, and often have a flavor of Japanese soy-sauce.

◼︎Shio is salt.

◼︎Shake is a salmon.

These has simple taste, and you may accept... maybe.

◼︎Karaage is fried chicken.

There are Karaage-onigiri and Karaage-mayonnaise-onigiri.  i like both!!

◼︎Ebimayo(shrimp and mayonnaise)and

◼︎Tunamayo(tuna and mayonnaise) have mild taste. 

These days, there are ◼︎Bacon-cheese onigiri, curry onigiri and so on.

i like it, and you may like it,

but it's not Japanese traditional.

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How to open Japanese-onigiri-package

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if you buy onigiri in supermarket or convenience store in japan.

The onigiri is packed like this.

The package has two layors of film to separate Nori and rice ball, and it's useful to enjoy crispy texture of the Nori.

and

You have to prepare scissors and a special ongiri-tool to open it!!!

,,,,just kidding :P hehe

ofcourse, you can open it by your hands,

cuz the film of the package is devised to be easily pulled out.

but, the Nori(dried seaweed) is easy to break, and you should do it carefully.

Anyway, i'll tell you how to open it.

could you find the number 1, 2, 3 on the package in the pic above???

At first, pull a little slip of number1 to start peeling, and keep it to the back around the onigiri to cut off.

Next, pull the corner of number2 to the side-way.

and pull the corner of number3 to the other side as well...

and just enjoy Onigiri!!!

,,,It's easy, isn't it???

i want you to enjoy Onigiri!!!

You may find Onigiri in Japan, but if you want onigiri as the japanese home cuisine,

i'll ask my grandma to make onigiri for you :)

Thx for reading, MATANE :D