Make Your Own Japanese Rice Balls With Onigiri Experience Set

Onigiri is an iconic Japanese delicacy that is as popular in anime as in real life. Who would ever forget when Hikari Hanazono (from the anime Special A) tried to make these rice balls that Kei Takishima personally requested? Or when Hinata Hyuuga (now Mrs Uzumaki) created a special onigiri for Naruto?

Onigiri has been part of many heart-warming and memorable scenes in our favorite Japanese shows. It is no wonder why. After all, in Japanese culture, making onigiri is a symbol of love. This food is associated with home, family, and genuine care. A good amount of effort comes into molding the rice balls while ensuring that the fillings will not spill or the texture of the rice grains will remain.

Good thing it doesn’t always have to be that way. You can actually make your own onigiri effortlessly. Moreover, the taste will still feel like coming home to the love of your life. The Onigiri Experience Set is the key!

What is the Onigiri Experience Set?

Onigiri Experience Set is a package from Experiences! by Japan Crate. It is a beginner-friendly set for making the crowd’s favorite Onigiri or Japanese Rice Balls. The set will allow you to make Instagrammable snacks with minimal difficulty and more fun. The best part is that it contains all the necessary ingredients and equipment.

Onigiri Experience Set Inclusions

The thing about onigiri is that while it can fit in the palm of your hand, there are several ingredients needed to make it like rice vinegar, spam musubi, soy sauce, and a lot more. Some of which are not available in overseas groceries. Thus, Experiences! by Japan Crate’s Onigiri set is a great way to try making iconic rice balls wherever you are across the globe.

The Onigiri Set has everything you need to start making Japanese rice balls. Here’s what you will get from the package:

●    Instant rice

This rice is a close alternative to traditional Japanese rice that must be soaked in water for almost half a day before steaming. You can cook the instant rice in a regular rice cooker and gain the same texture as that sushi rice.

●    Rice mold

The traditional way of making Japanese rice balls includes pressing or molding the rice using one’s hands. If the pressure put into molding is too much, it can break the structure of the rice grains. Meanwhile, inadequate pressure can make the rice balls come apart.

Mastering the art of molding onigiri takes time, but with the cute Kirby rice mold included in the package, you will only need to press in an adequate amount of steamed rice to create the perfect consistency.

●    Filling

There are many different kinds of onigiri fillings. For this onigiri set, it will be tuna mayo. The package includes Japanese mayo and canned tuna. You only need to mix them and adjust the taste with salt or pepper if you like.

●    Furikake seasoning

Furikake is a type of seasoning used to add flavor to rice. It is a mixture of crushed seaweeds, bonito flakes, and other flavorings. It can be mixed with fresh rice or used as toppings.

●    Seaweed wrap

Seaweed wrap or nori seaweed sheet is the dark green sheet pressed around or at the bottom of the rice balls. They add flavor to onigiri and allow people to grab the onigiri with their hands while eating.

How to Use the Onigiri Experience Set

Are you a newbie in the kitchen and do not have the confidence to make your own onigiri? Onigiri Experience Set makes things simple, even for beginners. Here’s how to use the onigiri set.

 Cook the instant rice according to the package direction. You may use a rice cooker for controlled temperature and cooking time. Once cooked, set the fresh rice aside to cool down a little bit.

1. Mix the canned tuna and Japanese mayo in a bowl. Keep the consistency thick to avoid spilling.

2. Combine the freshly cooked rice and furikake seasoning.

3. Fill the rice mold with the Japanese rice mixture halfway to the rim. Make a shallow recess at the center of the rice mixture. Tip: You may also brush a little oil around the rice mold to prevent the rice grains from sticking to the mold.

4. Put some fillings in the recess you created at the center of the molded rice.

5. Fill the remaining space of the rice mold with the rice mixture and press the rice grains together to follow the shape of the mold.

6. Tap the rice ball out of the mold.

7. Lastly, stick a sheet of nori at the bottom part of the rice ball. Since the rice mold is triangular, your onigiri will be triangular in shape. You are free to choose which among the sides you will place the nori sheets or you can also opt to eat it with nori separately.

Think you can follow these steps just fine and make your own onigiri recipe? Order the Onigiri Experience Set from Experiences by Japan Crate today!