Onigiri

[Hiroyuki]

I'm curious to know how you make rice balls. My wife makes them in the traditional way, that is, puts some water in a bowl, dips her hands in it to wet them, puts some salt on one hand, places some rice on it, and starts making a triangular-shaped rice ball.

Some people make rice balls using two bowls, like this

http://homepage2.nifty.com/NG/gohan/gohan04.htm

(Japanese only)

I personally don't like this method. (Somehow, I can't make rice balls well enough with this method.)

I usually make rice balls by wrapping rice in plastic wrap. This is highly recommended for sanitation reasons.

So, how do you make your onigiri?

[Kiem Hwa]

I'm curious to know how you make rice balls.  My wife makes them in the traditional way, that is, puts some water in a bowl, dips her hands in it to wet them, puts some salt on one hand, places some rice on it, and starts making a triangular-shaped rice ball.

So, how do you make your onigiri?

←

My BF usually makes them the same way as your wife.... Since mine used to always come out badly shaped (not so triangular), he used to gloat and say that since I'm not Japanese I can't make nice triangular onigiri.

However, the last few times we have made them, we used these plastic onigiri makers:

This started because I made Kristin's Unagi Okowa(Unagi-Shiso rice) for a party and decided it would be more fun to make it into onigiri (and since I'm not Japanese.....I had to use such a maker ).

Also, everyone I know in Hawaii calls these Musubi instead of Onigiri. I actually never heard them referred to as Onigiri until recently

Edited January 26, 2005 by Kiem Hwa (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Also,  everyone I know in Hawaii calls these Musubi instead of Onigiri.  I actually never heard them referred to as Onigiri until recently

←

It is said that omusubi is often used in Eastern Japan and onigiri in Western Japan.

I was born and bred in Tokyo in Eastern Japan, but I use onigiri.

I found an interesting passage:

Among the Japanese in Hawaii, many of whom come from Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures, musubi is mainly used.

from here:

http://www2.plala.or.jp/kamkamkam/gimon2/no76/omusubi.htm

(Japanese only)

[Gastro888]

Who knew there were so many onigiri? At our local (and one of only two) Japanese markets here I've only seen the umeboshi and the bonito. I like the combos y'all mention here. Is there a traditional recipe for it or do you just take regular rice and make it into a ball with filling in the middle?

[rcarter]

I'm curious to know how you make rice balls.  My wife makes them in the traditional way, that is, puts some water in a bowl, dips her hands in it to wet them, puts some salt on one hand, places some rice on it, and starts making a triangular-shaped rice ball.

So, how do you make your onigiri?

←

My BF usually makes them the same way as your wife.... Since mine used to always come out badly shaped (not so triangular), he used to gloat and say that since I'm not Japanese I can't make nice triangular onigiri.

However, the last few times we have made them, we used these plastic onigiri makers:

This started because I made Kristin's Unagi Okowa(Unagi-Shiso rice) for a party and decided it would be more fun to make it into onigiri (and since I'm not Japanese.....I had to use such a maker ).

Also, everyone I know in Hawaii calls these Musubi instead of Onigiri. I actually never heard them referred to as Onigiri until recently

←

I have the plastic forms which really help in shaping the onigiri. My problem though is that they seem more bland that when I form with a bowl of water and a little salt. I have tried combining both methods without great success. How do you use your forms?

I spent many years in Yokohama and Tokyo, but my mother is originally from Okayama. For some reason I grew up using the names Musubi and Onigiri interchangeably

[shelora]

A Japanese restaurant here (Victoria, Canada) is offering onigiri three different ways. My favourite is just the plain rice onigiri - formed with the aid of those plastic forms - soy roasted. Soy sauce - with other secret ingredients - is painted over the tops and bottoms and roasted under a broiler to obtain a yummy crispy top. Just like a savoury rice krispie! Very very good.

s

[Kiem Hwa]

I found an interesting passage:

Among the Japanese in Hawaii, many of whom come from Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures, musubi is mainly used.

←

Well, my BF's mother's family is from Hiroshima area (his Father is Okinawan), so maybe thats why he so adamant about calling them musubi....He won't call them onigiri. Everytime I say onigiri, he dosn't know what I'm talking about.....

I have the plastic forms which really help in shaping the onigiri.  My problem though is that they seem more bland that when I form with a bowl of water and a little salt.  I have tried combining both methods without great success.  How do you use your forms?

←

The first time I used the forms, I was shaping some very flavorful rice, but the next few times we made normal musubis, filled with konbu or ume. Those times, my BF dipped his hands in the salt water afterwards and patted them so he could stick the nori around it. We couldn't tell the difference, but I wasn't being very observant.

[merrybaker]

A Japanese restaurant here (Victoria, Canada) is offering onigiri three different ways. My favourite is just the plain rice onigiri - formed with the aid of those plastic forms - soy roasted. Soy sauce - with other secret ingredients - is painted over the tops and bottoms and roasted under a broiler to obtain a yummy crispy top. Just like a savoury rice krispie! Very very good.

s

←

Ming Tsai made a dish like that on TV, and it looked very appealing. I keep forgetting to try it. Here's the recipe:

http://www.mingspantry.com/grilsusricwi.html

[zeitoun]

I'm curious to know how you make rice balls.  My wife makes them in the traditional way, that is, puts some water in a bowl, dips her hands in it to wet them, puts some salt on one hand, places some rice on it, and starts making a triangular-shaped rice ball.

So, how do you make your onigiri?

←

We make them the same way. We would wrap the sheet of Nori at the last minute when ready to eat. My personnal favorites are Tarako and Umeboshi (is there anything better on earth than the combination of Umeboshi and rice?).

Onigiri is our food of choice when travelling by plane (wherever we go), it is much better than the junk they normally serve on airplanes!

You should see people's faces on airplanes when we pull up our onigiri balls sometimes. It ranges from fascination to downright horror !!

[torakris]

I make a mean onigiri!

All it takes is practice, I have been making them for my husband's breakfast for 10 years now....

I wet my hands under running water in the sink, dip my fingers into the salt container and them place a nice lump of steaming hot rice, straight from the rice cooker, into my palms. Work quickly and gently to form it into a triangle or a circle or a log shape.

I once saw on tv that the best onigiri should be worked very gently and fast, do not squeeze them together with your hands. I use more of a tossing motion applying equal pressure on all parts. It takes less than 10 seconds to form one.

Being Japanese has nothing to do with it! I have plently of neighbors who couldn't form an onigiri if their life depended on it....

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Also,  everyone I know in Hawaii calls these Musubi instead of Onigiri.  I actually never heard them referred to as Onigiri until recently

←

I've noticed the same thing. My grandmother is from Kyoto, Grandpa's family is from Hiroshima and Kagoshima, and my husband's ancestors are from the Hiroshima area. Half the family calls them musubi, the other half nigiri.

I'm making a batch of them for the International Festival at my kids elementary school tonight. I figure what can be more kid friendly than a rice ball.

[torakris]

Here in Yokohama they are almost always called onigiri, when I was living in Hawaii for a short time 10 years ago everything was called musubi, I actually thought they were different products for a while.....

[Hiroyuki]

Who knew there were so many onigiri?  At our local (and one of only two) Japanese markets here I've only seen the umeboshi and the bonito.  I like the combos y'all mention here.  Is there a traditional recipe for it or do you just take regular rice and make it into a ball with filling in the middle?

←

I don't think that there are any traditional recipes for onigiri, but there are several tips for making good onigiri, such as

1. Make them while the rice is still hot.

A professional onirigi maker makes onigiri from rice as hot as 72 C (162 F)!

2. Refrain from holding the rice too tight.

A professional onigiri maker first makes rice into a soft ball and then finishes making it into a rice ball by holding it softy only 4 times.

from here

http://www.ktv.co.jp/ARUARU/search/aruonigiri/onigiri4.htm

(Japanese only)

***

I think the following method, which uses saran wrap, is really a good one (quite similar to mine):

http://www.amie.or.jp/~raintree/make/riceball7.html

Another interesting topic about rice balls is their shape. My wife makes triangular ones, but there are several others. See the map of Japan here.

http://allabout.co.jp/family/countrylife/c...up/CU20030126A/

Scroll down to see the map.

[Hiroyuki]

22 years ago, Seven Eleven started selling a revolutionary rice ball - tuna-mayo rice ball!

from here

http://www.tbs.co.jp/hanamaru/tokumaru/050117.html

Do you like this one? Now the Japanese like the tuna and mayo combination very much.

[Kiem Hwa]

Another interesting topic about rice balls is their shape.  My wife makes triangular ones, but there are several others.  See the map of Japan here.

http://allabout.co.jp/family/countrylife/c...up/CU20030126A/

Scroll down to see the map.

←

We make triangular ones... I think Iv'e only seen triangular ones in Hawaii.

[Gastro888]

Who knew there were so many onigiri?  At our local (and one of only two) Japanese markets here I've only seen the umeboshi and the bonito.  I like the combos y'all mention here.  Is there a traditional recipe for it or do you just take regular rice and make it into a ball with filling in the middle?

←

I don't think that there are any traditional recipes for onigiri, but there are several tips for making good onigiri, such as

1. Make them while the rice is still hot.

A professional onirigi maker makes onigiri from rice as hot as 72 C (162 F)!

2. Refrain from holding the rice too tight.

A professional onigiri maker first makes rice into a soft ball and then finishes making it into a rice ball by holding it softy only 4 times.

from here

http://www.ktv.co.jp/ARUARU/search/aruonigiri/onigiri4.htm

(Japanese only)

Cool, thanks! So I can just take regular rice and ball it up around bonito, ikura, and other items? Way cool.

[Kiem Hwa]

Yaki-Onigiri (musubi) day!!!

Rice mixed with either regular furikake (green) or shiso furikake (purple) + goma. I used the onigiri molds to press them.

Onigiri on the grill (along with some shrimp-veggie skewers)

Finished onigiri... two types of sauce: mirin+shoyu+sugar+shiso sauce, with or without aka-miso. The one without miso looks like theres no sauce (It was runny and just soaked in)

Oishi-katta

It was delicious.

[torakris]

Mia insisted I take a picture of her onigiri (purchased, not made...)

tsukune onigiri-- chicken patty with a teriyaki like sauce and a dab of mayo with a bit of nori, she said it was really good.

[torakris]

I picked up this onigiri this morning

bacon, cheese, pepper-mayo

this was really good!

and it also really hit the spot at 5:30am!!

[lambretta76]

Torakris -

In all my rounds of onigiri roulette (I don't read a word of Japanese) I never encountered such a beautiful thing. Best - spicy tuna with mayo. Worst - natto, cucumber, and mustard.

On a side note, I really wanted to like natto. Really. You get so much more respect in Japanese restaurants here in the states if you order a little natto. BUt man, I've never had anything attack my gag reflex like this before. I had to chug green tea just to get it down. (I did impress the sushi chef at this particular place, though, as I smiled through my pain and chugged the tea when his back was turned.) I have fonder memories of the bugs I ate in South Korea!

[torakris]

my most recent bbq'd yaki onigiri

3 with soy sauce, 1 with miso and 1 with kochujang and a shiso leaf

[eipi10]

Torakris -

In all my rounds of onigiri roulette (I don't read a word of Japanese) I never encountered such a beautiful thing. Best - spicy tuna with mayo. Worst - natto, cucumber, and mustard.

On a side note, I really wanted to like natto. Really. You get so much more respect in Japanese restaurants here in the states if you order a little natto. BUt man, I've never had anything attack my gag reflex like this before. I had to chug green tea just to get it down. (I did impress the sushi chef at this particular place, though, as I smiled through my pain and chugged the tea when his back was turned.) I have fonder memories of the bugs I ate in South Korea!

←

Interesting. My favorite onigiri is natto. At first, I wasn't a natto fan. Unlike you, I wasn't repulsed, but I thought it just wasn't interesting enough. The revelation came when I purchased an onigiri triangle with natto, and a soy sauce packet was attached. The natto really comes alive with the soy sauce. Delicious!

I agree with the people who want to get rid of mayo. I don't think it belongs in any Japanese food. The same holds true for cream cheese.

[OnigiriFB]

Hi,

I've lurking on eGullet for a little while but for some reason just got around to reading this forum. I love Japanese food and I love onigiri. My fav is tuna and mayo too. Thanks for some great tips. I think a trip to the asian market is in my plans soon.

[torakris]

onigiriFB welcome to eGullet!!

Great blog! you should try posting some of your onigiri pictures here.

[OnigiriFB]

onigiriFB welcome to eGullet!!

Great blog! you should try posting some of your onigiri pictures here.

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Thank you for the welcome Torakris. I have to tell you btw I'm a big fan of yours. Love all your posts and great pics Umm... I haven't quite figured out how to post pictures yet. I think I read somewhere we can't just link from flickr? Any help would be appreciated.