Obento. Delicious and beautiful Japanese tradition

What is the difference between bento and our boutiques? The fact that it is a well-chosen and balanced meal, and even allows you to express your individuality - that is, the exact opposite of a unified fast food. The very best bento are, of course, those made at home by loving wives and mothers. The Japanese say: "Show me your bento and I'll tell you what kind of wife you have." Of course, with the help of bento, husbands can show off their wife's talents to colleagues, but the main field of activity of a Japanese woman is bento for children. This is where mothers try to surpass others and themselves!

But bento can be not only traditional. The West, as always, takes the best and most interesting from the East and Asia and twists it a bit in its own way. How can this be useful to us? Well, first of all, this way the food looks prettier, and therefore more appetizing. Secondly, in one such bento you can organically pack several tasty and healthy dishes, instead of one. And thirdly, this is a very good idea for children's treats at a holiday or picnic trips with large companies. The classic bento consists of rice, fish or meat and a side dish of pickled or fried vegetables.

When preparing bento, the Japanese consider it important to observe the proportion of 4:3:2:1. This means 4 parts rice, 3 parts side dish, 2 parts roasted or raw vegetables, and 1 part pickled vegetables or dessert. However, today all sorts of deviations from the classical canons are allowed. Masters are ready to use new products and unusual combinations, giving a traditional meal an extremely attractive look. A beautifully designed box causes a special delight in children.




By the way, bento boxes can also be different - in one case it is a simple plastic box made in a factory way and bought in a supermarket, and in the other case it is a real work of art made of wood and varnished. The homemade bento is packed on top of the box in a traditional furoshiki scarf that, when unfolded, turns into a mini tablecloth - steles anywhere and eat homemade food!

A real Japanese hostess always cooks bento for her family and friends herself, therefore the selection of bento components and their serving are one of the signs of a good wife / mother, and besides, in this way you can once again express your love and care for the dearest people.

For the first time in Japanese history, "bento" appears in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when cooked and then dried rice "Hoshi-i" (hoshi-i, or, literally - "dried food") is most widely used. Such rice-nosily with you in a small purse and on occasion it could be thrown into boiling water, thus obtaining boiled rice, or eaten directly, if it was already completely unbearable. Further, in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), the first bento boxes appeared, which, in principle, have not changed much over the centuries, and now they began to eat bento on Hanami or as a snack with tea.

If you want yourself and your loved ones to look forward to dinner, try to cook something special - let the ingredients be very simple, but when served skillfully, the simplest dish becomes a work of art. And if it is made with soul Start with a simple bento and move on to more complex options gradually. When you try to do something difficult on the first try, you may be disappointed, because it is unlikely that you will be able to master this art the first time. Set aside time to make bento.

Bento (弁当) is a one-on-one meal that is taken with you or a kind of “dry ration” common in Japanese cuisine. Traditional bento includes rice, fish or meat, pickled or boiled vegetables. Typically, products are packaged in a box-shaped container. Food boxes are produced in a variety of ways, from simple mass-produced disposables to handmade lacquerware.

Bento boxes are available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops (Bento-ya, 弁当屋), train stations, and department stores. However, true Japanese housewives often spend their time and energy preparing bento for their spouses, children, and themselves.

Kiaraben bento 1

Kiaraben bento 2

Kiaraben bento 3

Bento can be made in a style called kyaraben (bento character). Kiaraben bento are usually designed as popular characters from Japanese cartoons (anime), comics (manga), or video games. Another popular style of bento is the “oekakiben” (oekakiben or “picture bento”). This bento is decorated in the form of people, animals, buildings and monuments, or objects such as flowers and plants. Competitions are often held in which the organizers choose the most beautiful, most liked Bento.

Oekakiben 1

Oekakiben 2

There are similar forms of dry rations in the Philippines (Baon, Baon), Korea (Dosirak, Dosirak), Taiwan (Bindan, Biandang) and India (Tiffin, Tiffin). In addition, Hawaiian culture has adopted localized versions of bento with local flavors added after more than a century of Japanese influence on the islands.

Story:
The origin of bento can be traced back to the end of the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when boiled and dried rice called “hoshi-ii” (hoshi-ii, 糒 or 干し飯, literally meaning “dried food”) was invented. Hoshi-ii rice was eaten both in normal and boiled form. It was kept in a small bag. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), wooden lacquered boxes were made, similar to those made today, bento was eaten during hanami or tea parties.

During the Edo period (1603-1867), bento culture spread and became more sophisticated. Travelers and sightseers could carry a simple “koshibento” (koshibentō, 腰弁当, “bento belt”) with them, consisting of several onigiri wrapped in bamboo leaves or placed in a wicker bamboo box. One of the most popular styles of bento called "makuno-uchi bentō" (makuno-uchi bentō, literally means "between-act bento") was first prepared during this period. People who came to Noh and Kabuki theaters ate specially prepared bento between acts (maku). Numerous cookbooks have been published that describe how to prepare and pack bento, and what to cook for special occasions like Hanami and Hinamatsuri.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), "ekibento" or or "ekiben" (ekibentō, 駅弁当 or ekiben, 駅弁, "train station bento") appeared on sale. There are several records that state that ekiben was first sold on July 16, 1885 at the Utsunomiya train station and included two onigiri and a serving of takuan wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Students were not provided with lunch, students, teachers and many school staff took bento with them. European-style bento also appeared during this period.

During the Taisho period (1912-1926), aluminum bento boxes became a luxury item due to their ease of cleaning and their silvery appearance. Likewise, the movement to abolish the practice of drinking bente in schools has become a social issue. The disparity in income spread during this period, following the export boom during World War I and subsequent crop failures in the Tohoku region. The bento often reflected the student's wealth, and many wondered if this had an adverse effect on the children both physically, due to the lack of an appropriate diet, and psychologically, from poorly made bento (as students compared their bento) or the high cost of food. After the Second World War, the practice of bringing bento to school gradually began to fade away, and standard meals appeared in school canteens for all students and teachers.

Bento regained popularity in the 1980s with the rise of microwave ovens and convenience stores. In addition, expensive wooden and metal boxes have been replaced in most stores with inexpensive, disposable polystyrene boxes. However, even handmade bento boxes are back on store shelves.

Bentos are still used by workers today as dry rations, taken by families on day trips, by schoolchildren on picnics and on sports days. Homemade benta are wrapped in furoshiki cloth, which acts as a pouch and table mat.

Bentu made it to Taiwan in the first half of the 20th century from Japan and remains very popular to this day.

Airports also offer ekiben: a bento filled with ingredients from local cuisine, for passengers waiting for a plane or during a flight.

Noriben

Sake Bento

Hinomaru bento

Kamameshi Bento

Makunouchi Bento

Shokado Bento

Bento types:
Shokado Bento (Shōkadō Bento, 松花堂弁当) is a traditional black lacquered bento box.
Chuka Bento (中華弁当) is a bento filled with Chinese food.
Kamameshi Bento (釜飯弁当) is sold at train stations in Nagano Prefecture. It is cooked and served in a clay pot. The pot is kept as a souvenir.
Makunouchi Bento (幕 の 内 弁 当) is a classic-style bento that includes rice, pickled ume fruit (umeboshi), a piece of fried salmon, a cooked egg wrapped in a roll (tamagoyaki), etc.
Noriben (海苔弁) is a very simple bento with nori seaweed (seasoned with soy sauce) topping boiled rice.
Sake Bento (鮭弁当) is a simple bento with a piece of fried salmon.
Shidashi Bento (仕出し弁当) is prepared in restaurants and served to order at lunchtime. This bento is often eaten at gatherings, parties or funerals. Usually includes traditional Japanese food such as tempura, rice, pickled vegetables. Shidashi bento with European food is also available.
Tori bento (鳥弁当) - bento with rice and chicken pieces cooked in sauce. The meat is placed on top of the rice. This bento is popular in Gunma prefecture.
Hinomaru bento (日の丸弁当) is a bento consisting of only white rice and an umeboshi plum placed in the center. The name was taken from the Hinomaru (which means "sun circle"), the Japanese flag, which has a white background and a red circle in the center.

Other:
Hokaben (ホカ弁) is any type of bento purchased to take away from bento shops. Freshly cooked hot rice (hokahoka) is usually served with side dishes.
Hayaben (早弁), a bento consumed before lunch or sometime after lunch.
Ekiben are bentos sold at railway stations (EKIs) or on trains. There are many types of ekiben. Many of them are inexpensive and filled with food.
Soraben are bentos sold at airports for in-flight meals.

Bento is not just a meal, it is a whole ritual, an art. And the Japanese raised this art to incredible heights. It is known that in the East an essential element of any meal is the beauty of serving, therefore, the preparation of a traditional Japanese dinner is always approached creatively.
The origin of the very concept of bento can be traced back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when cooked and then dried hoshi-i rice became widespread. Hoshi-i was kept in a small bag and could be eaten dry or thrown into boiling water to make rice cooked.
During the more peaceful and tranquil Edo period, bento culture became more widespread and refined. Travelers and peasants might carry several koshibento, which included onigiri placed in a box of bamboo leaves or stems. This period also saw the emergence of one of the most popular styles of bento called makuno-uchi bento ("break bento" or "intermission bento"). People going to Noh and Kabuki theater performances took special bento with them to eat between stages. During the Meiji period, the first ekibento or ekiben (“station bento”) began to be sold. Numerous cookbooks have described how to make bento and how to pack it.

The first European schools in Japan did not provide canteen services, so students and teachers, like almost all employees, carried bento with them. During this period, traditional European-style meals began to be sold, including sandwiches and sandwiches.
After the Second World War, bento seemed to be finally forced out of school cafeterias, where they were replaced by standard meals for teachers and students. But already in the 1980s, bento regained its position thanks to the spread of microwave ovens and grocery convenience stores. In addition, impractical metal and wooden boxes have been replaced with cheap disposable polystyrene containers. Although traditional lacquered bento boxes are still popular.

There are dozens of types or styles of bento: classic, makono-uchi (a bento eaten most often during intermission), hinomaru-bento (consisting of a bowl of white rice with umebomi sauce in the center; the name comes from the name of the Japanese flag), ekiben (railway bento sold at stations across the country), sushizume (a box filled with sushi), kyaraben/charabento (food in a bento box resembles paintings - images of people, animals, plants).
While pre-made bento can be purchased at grocery convenience stores or specialty stores anywhere in Japan, the art of selecting food and making bento is one of the most important skills for Japanese housewives.

Traditionally, bento is made according to the proportions 4:3:2:1. For 4 parts of rice, 3 parts of meat or fish, 2 parts of vegetables and 1 part of a pickled plant or spice are taken. However, these are just basic guidelines for making bento. A bento can include rice, scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs, meat, sausages, fish, seafood, legumes, several types of chopped raw or pickled vegetables in one box with a lid. As a dessert, as a rule, apple or tangerine slices are added. Everything seems very simple. But this is not at all the case, because all these products are not just put into boxes, but whole edible pictures or small scenes on a certain topic are formed.

Initially, this style of bento (kyaraben or bento art) was invented to interest children who do not eat well. And today in Japan they hold competitions for the best serving and the most beautiful design of traditional dinners, which depict celebrities, animals, flowers, popular anime characters.
The result is visually so good that sometimes it’s even a pity to eat such beauty and there is a desire to keep it as a keepsake, but the feeling of hunger still prevails.

Bento is a Japanese version of a packed lunch, which is often taken to work, school or just on the road. As a rule, this type of food is divided into two parts: half of the whole package is rice, and the second part is protein products (fish, meat, eggs) and vegetables. But it also happens that a bento from a simple lunch becomes a real work of art.

Bento is the Japanese term for a cooked-to-serve meal.

Often the components for bento are used in the following proportions: 4:3:2:1 parts. That is, 4 parts includes rice, 3 parts of meat or fish, 2 parts of vegetables, and the rest of pickled vegetables or dessert.

It also happens that culinary specialists create bento in figurines of people, famous characters from movies, animals, as well as from various forms - flowers, plants, trees, leaves.

Bento packaging can also vary - sometimes it's a primitive plastic box from a supermarket, and sometimes it's a work of art carved from wood and covered with a shiny varnish.

There are several different types of bento:

Bale bento- when Chinese food is used.

Kamameshi bento- Sold at train stations in Nagano Prefecture. Packed in their clay pot and heated. The clay pot is often left as a souvenir.

makuno uchi bento- a classic consisting of rice, pickled plum, a piece of fried fish, as well as a hard-boiled egg.

Noriben- the most common bento with rice and nori.

sake bento- rice and fish are used, most often a piece of salmon

Shidashi bento- Sold in restaurants by order. This bento is often eaten at an event such as funerals, parties or weddings. Usually includes traditional Japanese food such as tempura, rice and pickled vegetables.

jukuben- bento, which is put in school for children.

Sushizume is sushi in a bento box.

Hayaben can be eaten quickly before or after lunch, in fact it is an afternoon snack.

Hinomaru bento- this composition symbolizes the Japanese flag - Hinomaru - from which the bento got its name. Consists of rice and one pickled plum.

Kyaraben- a bento made in the form of men or animals.

Bento, or bento, is a traditional Japanese lunch packed in a box; occupies an important place in Bento is prepared for those who will have lunch at work, at school or on the road.

There are varieties of bento for special purposes, such as soraben, a lunch box served on an airplane, and ekiben, a packed lunch for train travelers. Charaben is a children's bento. Among the ready-made bento are quite expensive, with exotic ingredients, or designed for children and connoisseurs of kawaii - with products in the form of anime characters or cute animals.

Bento boxes

Some Japanese restaurants sell bento, but what sets it apart from a regular meal is its portability. Usually, although not always, bento is designed for one person. Bento boxes are also interesting - they can be beautiful lacquered boxes (jubako), a real work of art, but more often they are plastic containers with a lid or disposable boxes. There are jubako in several tiers, with many branches. They are designed for special occasions: holiday picnics or a visit with your own food.

Sticks and wrap

In addition to onigiri, not all bento dishes can be eaten with your hands - chopsticks are pushed under a ribbon or elastic band that holds the box closed. The ceremonial jubako is tied into furoshiki, a large square of cloth that is usually used to wrap gifts and offerings. Furoshiki plays the role of an elegant wrapper, but also covers her knees so as not to stain clothes while eating.

Bento composition

A standard daily bento includes a serving of rice, protein foods (meat, fish, or tofu), and boiled or pickled vegetables. Steamed rice with a small red umeboshi (pickled plum) in the center resembles a Japanese flag with a red circle on a white background. - rice balls wrapped in seaweed - also a favorite dish of many as part of a bento.

When choosing bento products, consider their ability to hold room temperature. Traditionally, a bento meal is not chilled and does not require refrigeration. Bento items should be placed in the box when they have cooled to room temperature. This way they stay fresh longer.

How to make bento. Recipe Options

Here are a few variations of a typical bento that anyone can make:

Bento 1. Steamed rice and pickled plums in the center. Chicken cutlet katsu, cut into pieces. Vegetable salad namasu. A small portion of oden - stewed vegetables with spices.

Bento 2. Steamed rice. Salmon fillet teriyaki. Boiled broccoli florets. Blanched green beans with ponzu sauce.

Bento 4. Somen noodles. Edamame - boiled young green soybeans.

Bento 5. Curry with rice sprinkled with tonkatsu - crispy fried dough drops.

Bento 6. Steamed or fried white rice. Gyoza (Japanese dumplings) and a separate small container with sauce. Steamed vegetables. Tsukemono pickles.

Bento 7. Makizushi rolls. Tsukemono.

As you can see, any food is good for a bento, as long as two conditions are met. First, the dish should be stored and eaten at room temperature. And secondly, you can carry it with you.

Japanese bento benefits

Many of us enjoy picnics in nature, hiking in the woods and parks, and all-day walks. But not everyone wants to carry heavy thermoses, grills, disposable utensils and bags of food and feel like a draft horse rather than a vacationer. For such occasions, a Japanese bento is perfect, as the entire meal fits in one compact package. You can focus on the surrounding beauties, and not lug heavy backpacks and bags. Moreover, the problem of the garbage remaining after eating is not worth it, because all the food is suitable for consumption without a trace, so you will only need to throw away the box if it is disposable.