Looks Delicious! | Make Your Own Bentō
Bentō are home-made, or to-go, meals packed in boxes, usually containing rice, vegetables and meat or fish. There is often a strong emphasis on presentation as well as the nutritional value of the ingredients.
They are readily available at a variety of outlets throughout Japan such as train stations, grocery or convenience stores and specialized bentō shops. Homemade bentō are often lovingly prepared for family members and admired when eaten with friends and colleagues.
Although now most to-go bentō containers are disposable, reusable boxes made of aluminum, plastic, magewappa (bent wood) and urushi (lacquer) are popular for home use. Design your own bentō using a selection of food replica items and take a photograph to share with us on social media.
A. Rice Selections
- Bentō Box with White Rice and an Umeboshi (Pickled Plum)
- Onigiri
- Triangle-shaped Japanese rice balls wrapped in a sheet of nori (seaweed)
- Tawara Onigiri
- Rectangular-shaped Japanese rice balls
- Rice for Makunouchi Bentō
- Makunouchi bentō is a traditional Japanese boxed meal originally associated with the intermissions of theater performances. The name “makunouchi” literally means “between the curtains.”
B. Sushi Selections
Sushi broadly refers to dishes made with vinegared rice.
Nigiri
Nigiri sushi is another type of sushi where thinly sliced fish or toppings are set atop a mound of vinegared rice. Nigiri translates to “two fingers,” which is roughly the size of the rice portion.
- Anago Nigiri
- Saltwater eel sushi
- Ebi Nigiri
- Shrimp sushi
- Maguro Nigiri
- Tuna sushi
- Saba Nigiri
- Mackerel sushi
- Salmon Nigiri
- Salmon sushi
- Tamago Nigiri
- Egg sushi with nori (seaweed)
Maki
Maki sushi is a firmly rolled sushi, typically made by layering a seaweed sheet (nori) with vinegared rice and fillings.
- Ikura Kyuri Maki
- Salmon roe sushi with cucumber
- Inari Sushi
- A simple dish consisting of sushi rice stuffed into seasoned, fried tōfu pouches
- Kanpyo Maki
- Sushi roll with cooked kanpyo (dried gourd)
- Kappa Maki
- Sushi roll with cucumber
- Nattō Maki
- Sushi roll with nattō (fermented soy bean)
- Takuwan Maki
- Sushi roll with daikon (pickled radish)
- Tekka Maki
- Sushi roll with tuna
- Uni Gunkan Maki
- Sea urchin sushi
Sashimi
Sashimi is thinly sliced fish, mostly served raw and enjoyed with soy sauce.
- Hamachi Sashimi
- Raw yellowtail slice(s)
- Maguro Sashimi
- Raw tuna slice(s)
- Tai Sashimi
- Raw sea bream slice(s)
C. Main Dish Selections
- Hamburger Patty
- Karaage
- Fried chicken
- Steak
- Yakitori
- Grilled chicken skewer
- Ayu Shioyaki
- Salted and grilled sweetfish
- Saba Shioyaki
- Salt-grilled mackerel
- Yaki Zake
- Grilled salmon
- Aji Fry
- Fried horse mackerel
- Ebi Fry
- Fried shrimp
- Tonkatsu
- Fried pork cutlet
- Osaka-style Kare-Raisu
- Osaka-style Japanese curry served with white rice
- Osaka-style Okonomiyaki
- “Okonomiyaki” means “as you like it.” It’s a savory and quintessential Japanese pancake made with wheat flour batter and additional ingredients (poultry and vegetables) cooked on a flat griddle.
- Gyōza
- Japanese dumplings traditionally filled with ground meat and vegetables, typically pan-fried for a crispy bottom and soft top. They are often served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
- Ebi Mushi Gyōza
- Shrimp dumplings commonly prepared in a bamboo steamer basket
- Hisui Gyōza
- Jade colored steamed dumplings, typically made by mixing vegetables such as spinach or cabbage to get the beautiful green color.
- Shumai
- Steamed dumplings traditionally made with ground pork
- Mixed Sando
- A mixed sando (short for sandwich) is a set of three different sandwiches with ham and cheese, egg salad, and tuna salad spread between between slices of soft Japanese milk bread.
- Pizza
D. Side Dish Selections
- Chikuwa
- Grilled fish cake commonly used for oden hot pot
- Dashimaki Tamago
- Japanese rolled omelette made with dashi broth
- Medamayaki
- Fried egg
- Narutomaki
- Narutomaki is a type of Japanese fish cake commonly used as a ramen topping. It’s easily recognized by its signature pink or red swirl, inspired by the natural whirlpools of the Naruto Strait.
- Nimame
- Sweet simmered beans typically using haricot, navy, or white beans.
- Nori
- Nori is a dried seaweed sheet commonly used to wrap sushi and onigiri (rice balls)
- Tsukudani Kombu
- Tsukudani is a dish made from thinly sliced seafood, meat, or seaweed simmered in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, and mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine). It is typically salty to complement the mild flavor of plain rice.
- Umeboshi
- Pickled Plum
- Takuwan
- Pickled daikon radish
- Momijifu
- Maple leaf-shaped fu, which is made from dried wheat gluten
- Umefu
- Plum flower-shaped fu, which is made from dried wheat gluten
- Peman Tempura
- Lightly battered and deep fried green pepper
- Shiitake Tempura
- Lightly battered and deep fried mushroom
- Tako
- Octopus legs
- Tako Sausage
- Sausage shaped like a tako (octopus)
- Bacon
- Potato Salad
- Baguette
- Croissant
- Miso Soup To-Go
E. Vegetable Selections
- Broccoli
- Cabbage for Kimchi
- Cauliflower
- Daikon (Radish)
- Edamame (Young Soybeans)
- Enoki Mushrooms
- Green Asparagus
- Kyuri (Cucumber)
- Mizuna (Japanese Herb)
- Nigauri
- Bitter melon, commonly called “goya”
- Ninjin (Carrot)
- Okura (Okra)
- Potato Wedges
- Renkon (Lotus Root)
- Shimeji Mushrooms
- Shiso (Basil Leaves)
- Shredded Cabbage
- Takenoko (Bamboo Shoot)
- Tomato
- Yaki Kabocha (Grilled Pumpkin)
- Yaki Nasu (Grilled Eggplant)
F. Fruit Selections
- Banana
- Ichigo (Strawberry)
- Kiwi
- Lemon
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Ringo (Apple)
- Sakuranbo (Cherry)
- Suika (Watermelon)
G. Dessert Selections
- Chocolate Donut
- Purin
- Japanese custard pudding
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Taiyaki
- Fish-shaped cake, often filled with sweet red anko bean pasteor custard
H. Beverage Selections
- Coffee
- Iced Lemon Tea
- Ocha
- Hot green tea
- Orange Juice
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