Discover Japan: Onigiri

History

Onigiri also known as nigirimeshi or musubi has been in Japanese cuisine for centuries. In fact, it has been theorized that this dish dates all the way back to 710AD during the Nara period. Onigiri has been popular amongst countless groups such as samurai, travelers, and infantry soldiers throughout time. Onigiri is thought to have started off as just compacted and salted rice referred to as tonjiki. The snacks would be consumed by picnickers frequently. Onigiri did not start gaining new adaptations - like being wrapped in nori (dried seaweed sheets) or being filled - until nori became more widely available in the 17th century.

To date, onigiri is one of Japan’s most popular convenience foods and is commonly found on the shelves of most convenience stores. It is also mass manufactured. A machine was developed in the 1980s to mass produce this dish. Even the packaging developed is specialized so that the nori and rice stay separated by plastic (which acts as a moisture barrier) until the packaging is opened where the rice and nori will meet for the first time. This is to stop the nori from becoming soggy so that the onigiri can be enjoyed in its full potential. This dish can also be found in almost every restaurant and some eateries are specialized to only serve high-quality onigiri.

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What is Onigiri?

Onigiri is a Japanese rice ball that is stuffed with a range of savory and salted fillings and wrapped with nori (dried seaweed sheets). Traditional fillings are salted and flaked salmon (sha-ke), Japanese pickled plum (umeboshi), bonito flakes (dried tuna flakes) moistened with soy sauce (okaka), canned tuna with Japanese mayonnaise (tuna mayo), and salted cod roe (tarako). While these are the most common fillings, there are many more creative fillings being used like shrimp tempura, fried chicken, or any leftovers that may be hiding in someone’s fridge.

Is onigiri sushi? The answer to this question is no. The main difference between onigiri and sushi is that onigiri is made with plain white rice while sushi rice has vinegar, salt, and sugar for seasoning. Onigiri is also more portable, easy to eat, and preserves both the rice and filling. Sushi was developed as a way to preserve fish.

Fun Fact: While researching this dish, I often came across both the word omusubi and musubi as another name for onigiri. Upon further research, I discovered that in the Japanese language and culture, adding an o- is a way to show respect towards a word. It adds honor and importance to the word by adding beauty to the language. This means you may hear some honored food staples like o-nigiri have this o- prefix. For example, soy sauce (shoyu) becomes o-shoyu. The difference in the actual names like onigiri or omusubi are based on regional preference. This dish has even been known as nigirimeshi in some areas.

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About this Dish

For this dish, I chose to do a spicy tuna and Japanese mayo filling as well as a roasted baby bella mushroom and onion filling. These two fillings pack a wonderful umami taste that goes together perfectly with the simplicity of the plain white rice.

For those who are wondering about umami… umami is the Japanese word for savory. This taste was more recently discovered and recognized as the fifth taste. Umami refers to or corresponds with glutamates like monosodium glutamate found in mushrooms, soy sauce, meats, and other earthy and savory foods.

Onigiri is a very simple dish which allows the beauty of the ingredients to shine. Japanese cuisine is all about the quality of food and ingredients which is partly why it tastes so amazing. Think about going to a sushi shop. Would you want sushi made from subpar fish and vegetables, or sushi made from top tier fish and vegetables? The simplicity of the preparations allows nature’s work to really stand out.

This dish makes a perfect light lunch or on-the-go snack. Do not be afraid to be as creative as you want with the fillings. I quite enjoy roasting some salmon in the oven lightly sprinkled with salt or furikake seasoning, flaking it, and using this as my filling. Your local Asian store will have wonderful ingredients for this dish like kombu (seasoned seaweed), umeboshi (pickled plum), bonito flakes, and more. This dish is very easy and fun to make. It can be a great activity to do with kids, as a family, or even with friends!

Enjoy a taste of Japan!

Japanese Mayo and Nori

Furikake Seasoning

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Onigiri

Japanese rice balls stuffed with a savory and salty filling.

Notes

This makes about 14 onigiri.

*1 - Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning containing salt, dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and some other ingredients. It is a delicious seasoning to add. However, it is not needed. You can also just sprinkle your rice with some salt as desired. I found my seasoning at Woodman's.

*2 - Japanese mayo can be found in the oriental section of a large store (I found mine at Woodman's). If you have never had it, it is a umami bomb. It is delicious, but strong. I would recommend tasting it before adding it to see what your preference on how much to use would be.

Ingredients

· 2 cups of Japanese white rice (sushi rice)

· 3 cups of water (or follow the package recommendations)

· Nori sheets (about 5)

· Furikake seasoning (Japanese rice seasoning) - optional *see note 1

Tuna Mayo filling:

· 1 12 oz can of chunked tuna

· 2 1/2 tbsp Japanese mayo *see note 2

· 2 tsp sriracha

Mushroom Filling:

· 1-2 tsp oil

· 6-8 baby bella mushrooms minced

· 1/4 white onion finely diced

· 1 tbsp ginger minced

· 2 cloves of garlic minced

· 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1. Cook the sushi rice according to package directions. (This usually involves adding the rice and water into a pot and bringing to a boil. Once at a boil, cover and lower the heat. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes. Do not take the lid off of the pot as steam is what cooks the rice.)

2. Cut nori sheets into 3rds lengthwise using a sheers.

3. While the rice is cooking, prepare your filling:

Tuna mayo:

Drain the can of tuna well. ( I squeezed out some excess moisture from the meat). Mix the mayo, sriracha, and tuna together in a bowl and set aside for filling.

Mushroom filling:

Place the diced onion into a pan over medium heat. Add the oil and allow the onions to cook down until tender and slightly caramelized.

Add the mushrooms and cook down for another few minutes until they are softened and slightly shrunk.

Add the ginger, garlic, and soy sauce and sauté for 1-2 more minutes. Remove filling from heat and place in a bowl for making the onigiri.

4. Time to make the onigiri (If you are unsure about this part, try looking up some videos - it is a very easy thing to make!):

· Have a bowl of water at your station and dip your hands into the water (this prevents the rice from sticking to your hands).

· If you would like salted rice, you can have some kosher salt in a dish next to your water to dip 1-2 fingers into and rub around your hands. This will salt the rice as you form the onigiri.

Place a little less than a quarter cup of rice into your palm and flatten/spread it out.

Make a small indent with your thumb in the middle of the rice.

Add your filling (about 1/2tbsp or so).

Cup your hand and take some more rice to spread over the filling.

Mold the rice until the filling is completely covered. Try not to squeeze too tight to make it too compact (to the point that the rice becomes very heavy and dense) but be firm enough to keep the rice together.

You can shape these into whatever shape you want! A traditional shape is a triangle as seen in my pictures; however, you can also form these into balls or any other shape you wish too!

Wrap the rice in the nori (as if you are wrapping yourself into a blanket almost).

Top each with some furikake seasoning (optional) and a dollop of the filling to distinguish what filling is inside (if you are using more than one type).

Enjoy!

The nori will become soggy over time once wrapped around the rice, so do not wrap any that you do not intend to eat right away.

These keep nicely in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap and paper towels around them. This keeps the rice from getting too hard from the cold air in the fridge!

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Nutrition

Onigiri is a nutritious and filling dish. The rice adds needed carbohydrates for energy, while certain fillings like tuna and salmon help add protein and healthy fats. Other fillings including vegetables will help provide needed nutrients. Depending on the type of filling, I like to add some fresh fruit and vegetables or extra protein on the side to make a complete and satisfying meal.

Tuna mayo onigiri

Mushroom onigiri

Thank you for reading! I truly appreciate you taking your time out of your day. :) I hope you enjoyed this post and recipe.