A Cultural Journey Through the Food of Italy

Passport & Plate - Pick Your Poison Onigiri

Japan | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Calrose Rice
Nori Sheets
Wasabi
Banana

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Combine 1 and 1/2 cups of rice with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
2. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the water is absorbed
3. Let cool for 10 minutes
4. Place cooked rice in a bowl
5. Prepare a bowl of cool water
6. Cut nori sheets into 9 strips
7. Peel bananas and cut into 1/4 inch slices
8. Place hands in cool water and grab a handful of rice
9. Mold rice into a triangle
10. Create an indent in the center
11. Alternate between placing banana slices or wasabi in the indent and leaving it empty
12. Place nori strips around the triangle being sure to cover the indent
13. Continue making triangles until all of the rice is gone
14. When serving be sure that the onigiri are mixed up so that its contents are unknown

 

The story behind this recipe
Senior year of High School I decided to take a Japanese course. It was challenging at times, but I had a lot of fun studying the language and culture. The best assignment was researching and then preparing Japanese food. I decided I would make ????(onigiri), or rice balls. Of course I needed people to eat them with me; so I invited some friends over for an anime marathon dubbed onigiri day. Preparing the onigiri turned out to be exciting. They were filled with wasabi, bananas, and some were left plane. No one paid attention to the order they were in so the flavor of any one in particular was up to chance. I hoped to get banana, feared getting wasabi, and generally ended up with plain. Everyone enjoyed the onigiri and had fun watching hours of anime. A second Onigiri day is on its way soon, and it is likely to become a tradition among my friends and me.