7 things you need to do when you come visit Japan
If you are considering or already decided upon visiting Japan, here is a list of what you should not miss out on when you come and visit.
Onigiri (おにぎり)
Onigiri (おにぎり) is a dish made out of rice which is shaped in triangle or ball shape which is filled with different kinds of filling. If you go to Japan, you will see many kinds of different Onigiris sold and it is also easy to make as well. Most importantly, it is very popular as it is portable and easy to eat without needing any cutlery to eat, making it the perfect dish for picnics or packed lunches.
Table of Contents
A little bit about the dish
The most orthodox Onigiri (おにぎり) is made with rice, dried seaweed seasoned with salt. However, one of the reasons why Onigiri is such a popular dish back in Japan is because it is easily portable, easy to make and there are simply many varieties of Onigiri you can make. If you have some left over rice from the day before, you can just shape them in a ball or a triangular shape using plastic wrap and your hands. If you have some left over side dish from the day before, even better because you can use it as a filling for the Onigiri. As long as the fillings go well with rice, go for it! As long as it tastes good, you are not doing anything that is frowned upon back in Japan. Below are some of the fillings that are very popular in Japan.
・ Canned Tuna and Mayo (Tuna Mayo)
・ Grilled Salmon (Sake -鮭-)
・ Pickled Plum (Ume -梅-)
・ Shrimp Mayo
・ Yakiniku (焼肉)
・ Karaage (唐揚げ) & Mayo
One important things to note is that, you would not want to serve this dish if you are intending to impress people with your knowledge on Japanese cuisine. We notice that a lot of the so-called fancy Japanese restaurants serve Onigiri on their menu but that just drives us crazy. Onigiri is the Japanese equivalent to a sandwich and is a very casual dish so do us a favor: please do not cook or have this for lunch or dinner especially if you are on a date.
Another important thing to note is that Onigiri can only be made using sticky rice! If you are not using sticky rice, it will most certainly crumble even if you add pressure to the Onigiri with your hands so do not try it out with other kinds of rice.
List of Ingredients you will need
・Cooked Sticky Rice … Appropriate Amount
・Salt…Appropriate Amount
・(Optional) Nori (Dried Seaweed) … 1 piece per Onigiri
・Filling of your choice … Appropriate Amount
Recipe
1. Cut the plastic/Saran wrap and place it on your hands. (roughly 10 inches)
2. Sprinkle salt on the wrap so that the salt sticks to the surface of the Onigiri.
3. Place the rice on to the wrap. Make sure it is well spread out and not too thick so as to make the shaping process easy and to make sure that it is the wrap can contain the Onigiri if you are taking it somewhere else.
4. If you have some filling, place it in the middle. Close the ends of the wrap and use both hands to shape it either in a triangular shape or a ball shape.
5. You want the Onigiri to maintain its shape but at the same time you do not want to apply to much pressure on it as it will make the texture hard. You want it to be fluffy so once you get it to the shape where you are confident it will not crumble, it is done! (If you plan on using the Nori, temporarily unwrap the wrap and cover the Onigiri with Nori. Wrap it up again and its your usual or picnic lunch is ready!
Other recommended recipes
If this is the kind of dish you like, we have compiled some a list of dishes that you might also like for your next cooking session below.
Takikomi Gohan
(炊き込みごはん)
Takikomi Gohan (炊き込みごはん) is a Japanese dish, which is prepared with soy sauce, dashi, and either meat, fish, veggies, or mushrooms. This dish is typically eaten in the fall because fall is the time when much of the root vegetables and mushrooms are harvested.
Yakitori (焼き鳥)
Yakitori (焼き鳥), meaning “grilled bird” in Japanese, is a dish composed of different kinds of meat and vegetables (not just chicken) that are skewered and cooked on a grill.
Okonomiyaki
(お好み焼き)
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a savory Japanese pancake which can be customized to your taste. While the standard pancake is made out of flour, eggs, cabbage which is topped off with the bull dog sauce.
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