Japanese Food Japanese rice balls (onigiri)

[bezz]

This is an article on the onigiri fad about a couple of years ago.

 

[guldo]

I just prepared my first onigiri! Great!
I was just going to steam-cook some rice, in the first place; it looked good, so I decided to try and prepare some onigiri.
Unfortunately, I don't have the right ingredients... so I just made "plain-vanilla" onigiri, with what I was able to gather: one with grilled sword-fish (if this is its english name...) and one with bacon and cheese.
Shame on me... no nori and no sesame...
Nonetheless, it's been quite a nice experiment

Ah, I used some basmati rice, since I had it at home, and it was good

 

[Apollo]

(...)
Unfortunately, I don't have the right ingredients... so I just made "plain-vanilla" onigiri, with what I was able to gather: one with grilled sword-fish (if this is its english name...) and one with bacon and cheese.

Onigiri with bacon & cheese? This I have never heard about...I have never tasted it. Was it good?

Plz tell me...share your experience.

 

[guldo]

Bacon & cheese was good!
I used some very tender cheese and slightly fried some bacon in a pan.
I made another onigiri using ... well ... can't say that in english :sorry:
it's some little fish (about 2-3 inches) cut to slices and put into a spicy (hot) sauce. its strong taste is good for onigiri, I think.
どちらも美味しかったよ。

 

[lexico]

I just had some today at a Japanese restaurant, but it's been hours now.
Just going thru this thread makes me drool again.
One thing I noticed about the rice balls; aren't you supposed to add some vinegar when you prepare the rice with salt?
My wife does it with vinegar, and so did this restaurant; but none of the links with recipies mention any vinegar. :?

Another thing is, is california roll any way related to the rice ball? Where did it start? California, Hawaii, or Japan? :?

 

[epigene]

Lexico-san,

Vinegar is used in "sushi." Rice balls are prepared with salt only.

California rolls are a type of sushi.

Just like pizza, there are a lot of experiments going on with "onigiri." Canned tuna flakes with mayo in the middle of the rice ball was fashionable very recently. "Tenmusu" from Nagoya is also popular:

That's tempura inside the "onigiri."

 

[lexico]

Dumb and dumber....

Thank you, epigene-san!
I learned something new today....

So I guess the nori thing is just an experiment that caught on recently.
If the onigiri was originally sizeable without the nori, and the shushi originally a bite-full with the nori, then the only way to distinguish onigiri from sushi is the size and whether you have vinegar in it? :?

If somebody made a small triangular ball of rice with vinegar and wrapped it with nori, would that be more like an onogiri or a shushi? My son loves those from the covenience stores: I think in traslation they're called "trangular shushi." Would that be an oxymoron in Japanese? :?

 

[epigene]

Thank you, epigene-san!
I learned something new today....

So I guess the nori thing is just an experiment that caught on recently.
If the onigiri was originally sizeable without the nori, and the shushi originally a bite-full with the nori, then the only way to distinguish onigiri from sushi is the size and whether you have vinegar in it? :?

If somebody made a small triangular ball of rice with vinegar and wrapped it with nori, would that be more like an onogiri or a shushi? My son loves those from the covenience stores: I think in traslation they're called "trangular shushi." Would that be an oxymoron in Japanese? :?

Yes, the basic difference is use of vinegar mixed into rice for sushi. Nori is used for both types. Onigiri is basically regular rice formed into balls, triangles, in size larger than sushi.

I've never seen or heard about onigiri made with vinegared rice--so I have no idea...
There is norimaki, however, which is sushi:

 

[lexico]

From dumb to smart!

Yes, the basic difference is use of vinegar mixed into rice for sushi. Nori is used for both types. Onigiri is basically regular rice formed into balls, triangles, in size larger than sushi.

I've never seen or heard about onigiri made with vinegared rice--so I have no idea...
There is norimaki, however, which is sushi:

Thanks again for excellent definition.
Now I feel a little smarter having read your post.
My head is very clear, now!
Please excuse me. Gotta eat something!

 

[Suki-Yaki]

I have tried many of Onigiri , cheeze topped onigiri , chicken mayounaise , okaga onigiri , tuna onigiri , pickled peach onigiri , etc etc ..

What only shocked me was the tsume onigiri , I haven't known the tsume was chicken "feet" ...

But what I noticed lately is I haven't tried any of the "sweet" type onigiri. Isn't this the "original" type ?? I would like to try a cherry stuffed onigiri ..

By the way , aren't the onigiri , the famous called "rice cakes " ?? or maybe I am halusenating alot .. :sorry:

 

[sabro]

At my mother's house in East L.A. we always had a stock of Ume. Onigiri with ume... I'd pay for that. It is hard to find out here in the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Perhaps too far inland.

 

[Malaika]

*Is Hungry* *drools*

Lexico-san,

Vinegar is used in "sushi." Rice balls are prepared with salt only.

California rolls are a type of sushi.

Just like pizza, there are a lot of experiments going on with "onigiri." Canned tuna flakes with mayo in the middle of the rice ball was fashionable very recently. "Tenmusu" from Nagoya is also popular:

That's tempura inside the "onigiri."

*drools*

I'm getting VERY hungry, I do remember when I had a triangular shape rice in my hands with nori wrapped with it, but I never like it so I just gave it to my mom to eat it, that is when I was a little kid and now that I'm well more mature, I'm willing to try eating all different types of onigiri

but the picture with the tempura inside the onigiri, THAT is making my stomach grumble, not to mention all the other pictures of rice balls.

*drools more*

hmm...I think I'll try making a rice ball, I mean I totally have furikake in the fridge and rice, I think I have kimchee(sp?) and all that other sorts you would normally see in a fridge.

*tummy growls*

*drools*

:gohan:

 

[Rayc]

Not being skilled in onigiri making, I looked up some stuff and found a few sites that might be helpful

I'm thinking I would love to have a tempura rice ball right about now...

Thanks.

I didn't realise that rice could be cooked like this and served so beautifully! I sure am going to try it on my wife shortly. I bet she will burn with envy!

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Thanks.

I didn't realise that rice could be cooked like this and served so beautifully! I sure am going to try it on my wife shortly. I bet she will burn with envy!

Please be careful.
Rice to use for Onigiri is Japonica rice.
When it is Indicab rice, Onigiri does not harden.
Indicab rice does not have adhesive power.

 

[epigene]

Yes, to supplement Nagashima'san's post, the Japanese short-grained (Japonica) rice has a higher gluten level (i.e., much stickier) than the long-grained rice used in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. If there is a variety that is much stickier than the ones you use for curry dishes, it may work. (Not very sure, though.) :?

Also, make sure to form the ball with the rice is still very, very warm and fresh! You can't make "onigiri" with cold rice. I make "onigiri" only with very hot, freshly cooked japonica-variety rice.

Hope it helps!

 

[Sally_Hawn]

I love Salmon Roe Onigiri! If you live in Toronto, you can buy different kinds of origiri from Taro (J Town).

 

[Rayc]

Thank you all for the caution about the rice.

Well, so it will not be a surprise for my wife. I will have to ask her which rice is stickier that is available in India.

 

[Miko-Kokoro]

Hmm...I've always wanted to make Riceballs...I know I could but, I'm wondering, do you have to use Nori for all rice ball recipes?

 

[Sensuikan San]

My apologies for this one ...... !

I must confess ....

We all have strange things that immediately run through our minds when we see certain phrases or words .... and I've been resisting posting this for about a week! But, I've had a good Saturday - and just for a laugh - I have to let it go ... !

I was always told that "Rice Balls" .... was an affliction suffered by POW's during WWII, brought about by their terribly restricted diet ......

Apologies again, and regards,

ジョン

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Hmm...I've always wanted to make Riceballs...I know I could but, I'm wondering, do you have to use Nori for all rice ball recipes?

ONIGIRI which does not use NORI
"YAKI-ONIGIRI"
It is crunchy and is fragrant
recipe

Yaki-Onigiri(E)

 

[Rayc]

What is "Nori"?

 

[lexico]

Nori is laver or the seaweed paper that's used for wrapping the onigiri.
It comes in dark green, or dark purple, and can be used for wrapping sushi, too.
You can used the powdered kind to sprinkle on your soba noodles, too.
Here's wikipedia Nori, and Onigiri's linked there also. Nori - Wikipedia

Here's a photo of Nori in different colors

Here's a photo of Nori precooked and packaged

Here's a nice comparison page on the various edible seaweeds. Kaiso: Japanese Seaweeds

 

[Rayc]

Lexico,

Thank you.

I take it that one can eat this seaweed paper.

The wikipedia link just opened and it says that it can bee eaten.

Thank you.

 

[lexico]

You're welcome, Rayc.

Here's a photo of a kid enjoying onigiri.

Here's a photo of kids enjoying nori, a favorite snack for many!


Holloween Golden Bat Nori? Get the recipe at the link below!

Kate's Global Kitchen: Toasted Nori Bat Wings

A nice, short history of nori eating in Japan. Japanese Culture

Read the full article about rising nori prices! Burying the Seaweed

Here are a good encyclopedic source from FAO Seaweeds Used as Human Food

 

[Doc]

Seaweed is awesome! Especially candied seaweed! I remember when I was little we had an international food day in my junior high school. I was the only one who tried the seaweed, and I liked it too. Just thinking about it makes me start drooling!

Doc