What's in Your Bento Box?

Bento boxes are lunchboxes, much like the type of box you take your lunch to school in.

They are made out of plastic and come in many different shapes, like squares, circles, or ovals. The box usually has many smaller sections inside that keep different foods apart.

In Japan , children bring their food to school in these boxes. In America, you will often see a type of bento box at Japanese restaurants and take-out bento boxes are available in grocery stores selling Japanese food.

Typical bento box fare includes rice, meat, salad and pickles. Long ago in Japan, lunches were wrapped in oak, magnolia, bamboo leaves. Later, wooden boxes were used.

Many designer bento boxes, as well as boxes decorated with popular cartoon characters, are sold today.

What's in your bento box?
Mmmm! I see your mom packed some teriyaki (marinated chicken, fish or beef) in one of your Bento Box compartments! Sometimes she includes a few Onigiri (sticky rice ball) wrapped inside a sheet of nori (dried seaweed) with the teriyaki pieces.

Maybe you'll find some different kinds of sushi (vinegared rice with fish or vegetable topping or filling) for lunch, perhaps with sashimi (raw fish) and a little bit of wasabi (green spicy horseradish). Easy to eat with your O-hashi (chopsticks)!

Wow! Your mom packed some edamame (green soybeans) as a snack! She also sliced some kyuri (Japanese cucumber) and arranged them very prettily in the box for you.

For the New Year, your mom might pack some lucky Oshogatsu foods like mochi (pounded rice cake), shrimp, and ozoni (soup with mochi) in your lunch!!