The Not-So-Daunting Bento Box.
What is a bento?
The word "bento" has been used to describe the format we know today as far back as the 16th century in Japan and as a concept, even earlier (1100-1300AD), when workers would carry cooked rice in a small bag. While we typically associate bento with the Japanese-style single-serving lunch box, the term bento is actually derived from the Chinese term biandang (便當), meaning "convenient" or "convenience". In fact, numerous Asian countries (Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore) all have their own interpretation of the bento.
It may seem daunting when it comes to creating your own version of a traditional bento, but with the proper preparation, it will become easy to do and more importantly, an enjoyable part of your routine. Here are some quick pointers to help you on your gastronomic journey.
Plan the ingredients ahead of time
If there are few leftovers from dinner the night before, it’s easy to prepare a preferred protein before assembling the bento - just keep it simple! A breaded chicken thigh cooks in an air frier in under 10 minutes; a marinated salmon fillet can be grilled in the toaster oven in 15 minutes; precooked meatballs only require a sauce to be poured over in the morning. The key is to create less work in the morning so the majority of preparation time is spent assembling the box. For the side dishes, make something that will last a few days in the fridge so it can be reused (pasta salad, potato salad, seaweed salad or any kind of pickle) or something you can freeze and prepare on the morning of (“goma-ae” sesame spinach, “sunomono” salad or “harusame” vermicelli noodle salad),
Always use hot rice (this is non-negotiable)!
There is nothing worse than cold, crumbly, refrigerated rice. Either cook the rice fresh in the morning or if using day-old rice, heat in the microwave before it’s packed it. Don’t like plain white rice? Use the day-old rice to make fried rice, but DO NOT use frozen vegetables – these retain too much water and the rice will quickly become a mess. With fresh vegetables, it is ideal to chop the night before and refrigerate so the rice doesn’t end up soggy and mushy. Another great option for a rice fix is in an “onigiri” or rice ball (triangle to be more accurate). Again, always use hot rice in order for it to stick together and salt generously to preserve the ball until meal time. For the filling, almost anything can be used (cooked salmon, simmered beef, pickled plum). If going for an unfilled rice ball, it can be simply seasoned with “furikake”, a common rice seasoning. For the seaweed wrap, it is best to keep separate until it is ready to eat, which keeps it crunchy and fresh.
Mind the ratios
The portion sizes of rice, meat or fish and vegetables is an important consideration. Typically, a bento uses 1:1 ratio of rice to side dishes and a 1:2 ratio of meat or fish to vegetables. Once assembled, any gaps can be filled with trimmings to keep the items from shuffling around. Small pieces of blanched broccoli, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and micro greens are great ways to fill the space between servings.
Consider the aesthetics
The introduction to a bento happens the moment the lid is removed to reveal what’s inside. There’s no need to jump right into creating a bento that tries to mimic an elaborate photo seen on social media, but it is important to make a bento look appealing and appetizing. First impressions mean a lot! Think about the colours in the bento – using colorful fruits and vegetables will always make the dish pop. Cookie cutters can also be used for making different shapes and sizes. The bento should wow the diner before taking the first bite. Growing up, my mother would write personal messages in seaweed on the rice and it always made me smile.
The bento box
While there are countless, overpriced, oval-shaped bamboo bento box with travel chopsticks in a matching case available for creating a visual masterpiece, any container will do. The most important consideration for the presentation comes down to how well the tasty creations draw the eyes away from the container it’s in. While inspiration can be found online, the best part is what’s inside!
Food can bring such joy and happiness to anyone and everyone. Creating bento boxes for family and friends can be compared to giving a gift of food when gathering around the table is not an option. The extra love and attention will be appreciated long after the meal was eaten.
