Onigiri, or rice balls, are a popular snack in Japan. Some people even eat them for breakfast! These little rice shapes take many forms and have been around for hundreds of years. Starting in the 1600s, many people began adding nori to the rice, to keep their hands from getting sticky while eating.
Nori would grow to become a popular way of decorating, too, and today, creative folks make all kinds of creatures and shapes out of this delicious dish. Who says you can’t play with your food?
Try recreating some of these fun onigiri for yourself:
- Use your nori to make eyes and a mustache for a little onigiri man
- Surround your rice with ramen to give a mane to your onigiri lion
- Drop in some food coloring and add sesame seeds for onigiri watermelon slices
