Recently I have been craving Onigiri. It has been years since I have made any and I’m not sure what has brought on the sudden craving. Over the weekend, I went to Daiso, a Japanese store that sells a lot of random supplies for $1.69. I got a few onigiri tools. While they can be made without the tools, the tools do help in making pretty shaped ones.
I bought a heart shape, triangle shape, and star shape.
You can use these as rice scooper, scooping directly into your pot of rice. Then you mash the cover on top of the rice, squeezing it down into the shape. On the backs of these shapes there is a lever you push in to help release the rice when you are done. This is really useful because the rice is so sticky.
There are different things you can do with the rice balls. You can add fillings in the middle, you can decorate the outside with seasoning, you can wrap them in nori (seaweed), etc. I usually like to put shredded pork in the middle or just have a rice seasoning around the outside.
I wanted to make different ones, so I bought a shredded fish filling and some different rice seasonings.
Typically the rice seasoning contain some nori, sesame and some other flavors. The purple one contains plum. The pink one has some seafood. And the brown one has bonito flakes.
I ended putting the shredded fish filling in the middle of the triangle shaped onigiri. The heart shaped and star shape ones don’t have a filling and are only seasoned with the rice seasoning.
There is so much you can do with rice balls. So many different fillings, seasonings, designs. It’s like playing with your food. Heh. I used to eat these a lot when I was little. Eating them now brings back a feeling of nostalgia.
I’ve been looking at this website for a few days now and I love everything! You have great recipes and reading your reviews of places makes me more interested in everything culinary. I had a question for this: how do you put the filling? Would you put it like it’s a filling for a doughnut and then roll the whole thing? Or would you cut it and put it in the middle. I would think the second because the rice is so sticky. Thanks 🙂
I usually put down some rice into the mold, then put in some filling, then more rice on top and then squeeze and pack it down in to the mold. Hope that helps! Glad you find my website!
The purple one is a plum flavored seasoning. Is that what you are looking for? I don’t remember the English name. Next time I’m at the grocery store, I’ll take a look and let you know.
Hi, I remember to a recent trip to Japan my host family sprinkled this purple seasoning onto the rice in my bento box. I have been trying to figure out what it is called. I think it is the last image of the packets of seasoning. What is its English name?
thanks! I’ve been trying to make them cuter. I recently bought some with face shapes.
awww there sooo kawaii!!!!!
You’re Welcome! Shapes make them more fun to eat in my opinion.
Interesting. I saw some bear and kid faces, but I thought that would look weird for eating. hehe. animal shapes sounds fun though.
Thanks! I think I’ll try some more shapes and designs next time.
I always wondered how they made those cute shapes, and now I know! Thanks!
hehe! so cute! they have animal shapes here.. i guess people can use them to make shapes for ice cream sandwiches or toast too
Those are so cute! And looks delicious, too!