THE SANDWICH ALTERNATIVE : ONIGIRI

Having grown up in Asia we love love our rice and noodles more than bread and potatoes. We know certain places make good sandwiches, but it is somehow not a very 'considered' meal in our opinion. A 'considered' sandwich in our opinion would mean that the bread is specially baked for the fillings and the relish/sauce is specifically picked out for the bread and fillings. Not many places do this so most sandwiches we feel are rather mismatched. An onigiri is easy to make and it is cheap and tasty. It is easily done with the onigiri mould we bought from the $2 shop.

WHAT IS AN ONIGIRI THEN?

Onigiri (御握り; おにぎり?), also known as omusubi (御結び; おむすび?) or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shape and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (umeboshi), salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a preservative. Because of the popularity of onigiri in Japan, mostconvenience stores there stock onigiri with various fillings and flavors. There are even specialized shops whose only products are onigiri for take out.

Onigiri is not a form of sushi, despite a common misconception. While onigiri is made with plain rice (perhaps lightly salted), sushi is rice with sugar and vinegar added. Onigiri makes rice portable and easy to eat as well as preserving it, while sushi originated as a way of preserving fish.

Here is Mr Washy's onigiri lunchbox. Simply morish!