How to make onigiri?

Onigiri are Japanese rice balls that are filled with various fillings (from tuna to umeboshi) and wrapped in dried seaweed leaves (nori) . They are very suitable as a fresh, filling and healthy snack on the go .


Not only the filling of the Japanese rice triangles can be selected according to individual taste, but also the shape can be decorated with beautiful motifs, crazy designs and cute elements.

The 5 steps presented here will quickly help you to cook the rice properly for the filled rice balls, choose the best filling, shape the triangles neatly and wrap in nori and finally pack them well for on the go!

With the basic recipe for onigiri with furikake at the end of the article, you can start preparing your own onigiri right away and conjure up ready-to-go onigiri in just 10 minutes.


Also read this article how to sharpen scissors

What are onigiri?


They're triangular, they're delicious, they're perfect for on the go! - Onigiri. The small Japanese rice balls are the hot dog for the New Yorker, the sandwich for the Englishman or the sandwich for us Germans. The Japanese snack for a small snack is made from white Japanese rice and is often wrapped in a sheet of seaweed (nori) .


Onigiri not only make rice transportable and easy to eat , they also contain a delicious filling , for example salmon in mayonnaise, umeboshi (pickled plums) or furikake (typical Japanese rice spice), which we will look at below.


For the Japanese, this handy triangle symbolizes the moment of pause and pause in the stressful (albeit very orderly) Japanese everyday life. Even if the snack is available in every imaginable variation in the convenience shop in Japan , they bring back memories of childhood, excursions and enjoyable moments.

Since the Japanese have been organizing picnics - such as the meetings on the occasion of the annual cherry blossom - filled rice balls have been formed and taken away. And that until today!


You will already notice that an onigiri is not just in the form of pressed rice with a filling. The lovingly designed rice balls are also an expression of feelings ! This gives the ball a smiling face when a student is to be wished good success in an exam. Or a grim face if your partner comes home drunk for four nights in a row!

Make onigiri yourself in 5 steps


Due to their huge popularity, the rice triangles in Japan are available in an infinite number of variations in all convenience stores across the country!

Here in Germany there is no such thing as this great luxury - so the motto is: get creative yourself and prepare Japanese rice balls by hand at home!

 The following simple instructions show you how you can make your own onigiri yourself in 5 quick steps!


  1. Prepare the rice - skip

  2. Choose the best onigiri filling -

  3. Shape the rice balls correctly - skip 

  4. Wrap or fry the onigiri

Boil rice.

Step1: 

So let's take a closer look at this important element at the beginning!


Which rice should I use for onigiri?

For the preparation of Japanese rice balls, it is best to use short to medium-grain (also round-grain) white rice 

Since real Japanese rice is not actually exported, the best type of rice available in Germany is called " Calrose " and is often referred to as " sushi rice " on the packaging. When fully cooked, this variety has a soft consistency, is very mild in taste and sticks together well.


How is rice properly cooked for onigiri?

The sticking together of the rice grains is typical and very important in order to make perfect onigiri!

Determining the ideal amount of cooking water is also an important point - but always read the individual cooking instructions for the rice first! In general, however, the same amount of water is used as rice: So for 100g of loose rice there is 100ml of water!


To cook the Japanese rice for onigiri, it is best to simply follow our simple instructions here in the recipes:

Step 2 -

 

When you have prepared the rice, you should think about the correct filling of the Japanese rice balls.

Onigiri are usually filled with a very intense filling or mixed with a rice spice , as the rice "swallows" a lot of the aromas.


Step 3 -

Why are rice balls actually triangular?

Basically we only get triangular onigiri today - round ones would be nice too, wouldn't they? The explanation: In the 1980s, the demand for onigiri in Japan grew and the technical possibilities got better, so that the next step towards mechanization was quite logical. The hand-rolled (with the emphasis on ROLLING) rice balls, which were often found up to then, could not be imitated by the developed machine.


Instead, three corners were much more convenient for production, packaging and transportation. And the Japanese have stuck with it to this day, even if homemade onigiri are often spherical.


 Step 4 -

 

After you've carefully filled and shaped the rice triangles, all that's missing is the finale . You have two options: Either you wrap the rice ball with a cut seaweed sheet (nori)  or fry it in a pan until  crispy on all sides.


Step 5 -

 

Do not put the finished rice balls in the refrigerator to store because the rice will harden there. If it should be stored in the refrigerator, wrap it airtight in cling film or another suitable container. But it still applies: rice balls should be eaten as soon as possible after preparation!

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