Introduction to onigiri
Onigiri (also called omusubi) is a ball or triangle of cold rice, often with a
filling, frequently wrapped in nori making it easier to eat. It is a popular snack
food, and is also common as part of a packed lunch. Depending on your
location, some convenience store chains have shelves with a large selection
of fresh onigiri for sale.
The most common form of onigiri has a filling in the center. This is often
something sour or salty, as it helps preserve the rice for longer periods of
time. Common fillings include umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum);
katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) moistened in soy sauce; cooked, salted
salmon; salmon roe; and "seachicken" (canned tuna) with mayonnaise. Less
common is onigiri with the filling mixed in with the rice, making it spread out
throughout the rice.
A related dish is Yaki-onigiri, which is a plain onigiri without filling that has
been brushed with soy sauce or barbecue sauce and grilled. This is a
common side dish in pubs. A creative variation is a yaki-onigiri in a bowl of
dashi garnished with chopped leek and katsuobushi.
Making onigiri
This is a very easy food to make, though a little time consuming due to the
time it takes to cook the rice.
First, you need to use Japanese-style short grain rice; if the rice isn't sticky,
there is obviously little chance of the onigiri staying together. Cook it in the
usual way. Estimate that one deciliter (1/2 cup) of uncooked rice will become
about two larger onigiri or three smaller ones. While the rice is cooking,
prepare the fillings. As you can see in the list above, there is wide latitude on
what you can use as a filling. A few easy examples:
Umeboshi: estimate one-two plums per onigiri. Squeeze out the stone, and
you're done!
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