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- What Is Bento? In simple terms, bento is a single-serving, packed meal, transported by the eater already assembled and ready to be savored. Like an American lunch box, only so much more. Bento historically stars rice or noodles as the foundational starch, accompanied by a protein or two like fish, eggs, or meat.
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Bento boxes originated in ancient times and have a long history in Japanese culture. Bento boxes are a convenient and balanced meal option, commonly used by students, office workers, and families. Bento boxes have evolved over time, incorporating different styles and international flavors.
- Overview
- What Is Bento?
- What's My Bento Style?
- How Do I Assemble a Bento?
- Where Can I Buy a Bento Box?
- Where Did Bento Come From?
A bento box adds fun, whimsy, and creative joy to any midday meal.
Tamagoyaki Bento Box | Photo by Buckwheat Queen.
You may be familiar with the bento box as a "little bit of everything"
option at Japanese restaurants. In it, a wide tray is divided into several compartments, like a dollhouse laid on its side, with each individual room assigned to a specific standard offer. In a typical spread, you'll find a few flash-steamed
to start; some bites of a crowd-pleasing
a couple slices of ginger and dab of wasabi to accompany; a green iceberg salad with that addictive
In simple terms, bento is a single-serving, packed meal, transported by the eater already assembled and ready to be savored. Like an American lunch box, only so much more.
Bento historically stars rice or noodles as the foundational starch, accompanied by a protein or two like fish, eggs, or meat. These two main focal points are accented with a variety of pickled and cooked vegetables, and a few bites of fruit, creating an easily balanced meal for healthy eating away from home. Modern bentos may take inspiration from the western world, such as the inclusion of sandwiches, yogurt, dessert, green salads, and fried potatoes. Check out these
The word "bento" comes from the Southern Song Chinese slang term that means "convenient," but make no mistake — this designation only makes sense for the one enjoying it! Bentos are inventions of convenience for the recipient, but they're often a labor of love from the maker.
is roughly translated to "character bento," and they are absolutely adorable. They take their inspiration from anime, cartoons, comic books, video games, and other pop culture references meant to make adults and children alike squeal with glee. These time-consuming preparations often require a good deal of consideration by the maker to create the shapes and likenesses of favorite characters. Pikachu, Hello Kitty, Angry Birds, and other delightfully rotund creatures like pigs and cows are some of the most popular forms you'll see rice rolled into, decorated with seaweed sheets cut to form eyes, whiskers, and other details that give the food forms personality.
There are a few principles beyond aesthetic style and theme to follow when it comes to putting together a proper bento meal. Variety is key for a great bento, and not just in terms of the carb, protein, vegetable, pickled vegetable or fruit mix, which should appear in a 4:3:2:1 ratio, respectively. You want to shop seasonally for the ingredients, and have a lot of different items in small quantities on hand to bring your creative vision to life, however inspiration moves you!
With that said, planning the designs ahead of time and assembling the assorted items in advance is a must. All elements should be prepared separately to retain their flavors and textures. Think sweet, lightly acidic pickles against mild egg noodles, toothsome rice with crunchy vegetables, and tender, savory meat and juicy fruit. Combining sensations like this also helps with satiety, making it as good of a health tip as it is one for better enjoyment.
Buy bento boxes online. Although most of the world's bento boxes are manufactured in the Ishakawa Prefecture of Japan, global trade has made it easy to get them to your door. They come
in all shapes and sizes,
from 2 compartment or 3 compartment plastic boxes, to stackable round or rectangular stainless steel boxes, to fun kid-friendly containers featuring snow owl, fox, and lion decals. Specialty retailers like Karma Bento, Yiruishi Shop,
carry all styles and types, featuring gorgeous craftmanship, ingenious designs, and whimsical shapes. For affordable options, look for the
, the New Zealand-based experts on strategically divided food storage, good for kids and adults — although the younger set might prefer the fun, child-sized ones from Bentgo or
You can also buy direct from designers like
Bento is an art form that dates back to the 1100s. The first documented use of bento as a concept can be traced back to Japan's Kamakura period (1185–1333), when cooked rice would be carried into work in a small bag. But it wasn't until the Azuchi-Momoyama period, between 1568 and 1600, that bento as we know it appeared.
It was then that lacquered wood boxes came into existence, becaming Japan's elegant version of a picnic basket. The art of
This tradition traces back hundreds of years, evolving through the eras into what it is today – a symbol of convenience, balance, and artful presentation in meal preparation. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the origins, evolution, and elements that make the bento box a unique culinary icon.
Bento is a Japanese-style single-serving meal traditionally packaged in a lacquered multi-compartment container called a bento box and served for lunch. The meal typically includes a starch of either rice or noodles, along with a protein, such as fish, meat, or eggs, accompanied by pickled vegetables and fruit.
A bento is compact, nutritionally balanced, visually appealing, and is useful for waste reduction and portion control. When you begin to plan your bento meal, there are several things to be mindful of. While there are no set "rules" about bento, here are the basic guidelines.
A bento (弁当, bentō)[1] is a Japanese -style single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch, typically including rice and packaged in a box with a lid (often a segmented box with different parts of the meal placed in different sections).
Jun 7, 2021 · Compact, curated, and packed full of creative whimsy, Japanese-style bento boxes highlight the culinary potential of lunchtime.
