Onigiri are rice balls, usually with a tasty filling. They are portable, and therefore popular for carry-along lunches (bento). Part of their appeal lies in the fact that if you’re Japanese, you just love the taste of rice. Rice is fundamental to the Japanese diet. The words for cooked rice, meshi and gohan, have come to mean “meal” itself. A consequence of this attitude towards rice is that the Japanese are quite happy with a meal of meshi alone. There are many kinds of onigiri (also called omusubi). Two popular kinds are nori (dried seaweed) and umeboshi (pickled plum) onigiri. Since cooked rice can go bad easily, the preservative umeboshi keeps the rice fresh during the journey. In addition, the pickled plum is supposed to be good for the health. Geographically, only 16 percent of Japan’s total area is cultivable, and about half of this is used for rice crops. Historically, rice was considered a luxury since the common people satisfied themselves with millet and has been with the Japanese for hundreds of years as travelers have sustained themselves. Onigiri can stand on its own, or be part of a bento or boxed lunch. (For some reason it’s never just called “nigiri”, though bento is also called obento, which is the honorific term.) Onigiri are also a great make-ahead snack for a crowd.

Onigiri (Easier & neater onigiri)

There are a lot of steps here, but once you have done a couple this way you will be turning out tons of rice balls in no time.

Equipment and ingredients

Sturdy plastic wrap that is not so thin that it will get weak when exposed to a little heat, or too thin that you spend more time un-sticking it form itself than using it. Saran Wrap is great, or Glad.

A small bowl or teacup that is the size you want your rice balls to be.

A rice scoop or a spoon

Properly cooked white or brown Japanese rice.

Salt, preferably in a salt shaker (or you can just sprinkle with your fingers)

Water

Fillings of your choice

Covers of your choice such as nori seaweed

PREPARATION

• Make ready your teacup, a cup or bowl holding some water, salt shaker, rice, rice scooper, fillings, plate to put the finished onigiri, and plastic wrap roll.
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• Line the small bowl or teacup with a piece of plastic wrap that’s big enough to hang well over the sides. Press the plastic down into the cup with your fingers.
  
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• Sprinkle the inside of the cup with a little water. Shake out the excess into the sink.
  
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• Sprinkle the inside of your wetted, plastic-lined cup with salt, turning the cup so the sides get sprinkled too. Shake out any excess salt.
  
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• Fill the cup with rice up to the brim. No need to press down; just fill it loosely.
  
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• Poke a hole in the middle of the rice, about halfway down in depth, with your finger.
  
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• Poke your filling of choice in the hole – about 1/2 a tablespoon or so.
  
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• Lightly press the rice over the filling.
  
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• Gather up the ends of the plastic wrap.
  
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• Twist and squeeze, pushing out any excess air. Twist tightly to form a ball. The squeezing is critical for ensuring that the salt sinks into the surface, and for making sure that the rice grains stick together enough so that the ball will not disintegrate when you bite into it.
  At this point, if you just want round onigiri you can squeeze and press a bit and you’re done! If you want triangular rice balls, you just need to squeeze a little differently.
  
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• Form an L shape with one hand and make three corners on the ball…
  
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• Use the other hand to turn the ball and squeeze back to front. Squeeze, turn, squeeze. Practice makes perfect!
  
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• And, here you have a perfectly shaped triangular onigiri.

If you’re going to bring the onigiri on a picnic, just leave it in the plastic wrap, and bring along the nori separately; wrap the onigiri with the crisp nori just as you’re going to eat it. If you’re going to eat the onigiri right away, you can re-use the piece of plastic wrap for all the onigiri balls you make.

This method works marvelously for brown rice balls as well as white rice balls. Brown rice balls can be a bit tricky, since brown rice is not as sticky as white.

Sources:

Donald Richie, A Taste of Japan

Jon Spayde, Japanese Cooking

Onigiri recipe and photo, http://www.justhungry.com/2003/12/obento.html