Lisa George
How’s everyone doing out there? It’s pretty wild to think that we’re all pretty much stuck at home with travel being something that is not going to be happening for a long time. I feel very grateful that Mike and I got to spend some time in Tokyo late last year before everything started going south. It seems like a lifetime ago, us wandering the streets, popping into a combini (Japanese convenience store) for an onigiri whenever we felt like a snack.
If you’re familiar with Japanese food you probably know what onigiri are. Or maybe you’ve seen that cute lil 🍙 emoji and wondered what it was. It’s a rice ball! Or, in Japanese, onigiri. Onigiri are beloved across Japan. They’re portable, they come in a huge variety of flavors, and they taste darn good! The best part about them is that they’re very easy to make at home and they can basically be filled with whatever your heart desires.
What is Onigiri
Onigiri is a Japanese rice ball. It’s a kind of handheld staple made from white rice that’s shaped into a triangle or ball and wrapped in seaweed. They can come plain or will a savory filling. They’re super popular and found all over Japan: homemade, at specialty onigiri shops, and convenience stores.
Who or What is Miffy
Miffy is a small rabbit that is super cute and quite popular, kind of like Hello Kitty. Miffy hails from the Netherlands where she was created. I love bunnies and I especially love Miffy so I decided to make some cute Miffy onigiri in celebration of Easter!
Tips and Tricks on How to Shape Onigiri
1. Make sure you use the right kind of rice – Onigiri are made from short grain rice which is stickier than regular long grain rice. At the store look for “sushi rice” or short grain rice.
2. Use freshly cooked rice that is not hot but just warm. Freshly cooked rice will form balls better.
3. Wet your hands. Lightly wet your hands to prevent the rice from sticking. If you like, have a little bowl of slightly water next to you, the salt on your hands will flavor the rice a bit.
4. Use an onigiri mold or a bowl and plastic wrap if you’re not confident. Line a bowl with plastic wrap and pop the rice in. You can use the plastic wrap to help shape the onigiri. Or you can use an onigiri mold, which is one I did. Of course, you can just use your hands to firmly press the rice into a triangle shape too.
5. Don’t fill the onigiri too much. You might be tempted to pop a lot of filling on the inside, but if you have too much the onigiri won’t have any structural integrity.
What to Fill Onigiri With
You can fill onigiri with pretty much anything but some popular fillings are: cooked salmon, tuna salad, chicken salad, fried chicken, tempura, umeboshi (pickled plum), avocado, steamed vegetables, the sky is the limit!
When to Eat Onigiri
Eat it anytime! You can have it at breakfast, as a snack, lunch, or even as the carb with your dinner.
That’s it! I hope this opens a world of onigiri because there’s nothing more fun that eating a rice ball stuffed with your favorite fillings 🙂
PS – Here are a couple other Miffy ideas if you need some more bunny inspiration:
Miffy Small Batch Carrot Cupcakes
Miffy Hot Cross Buns
Miffy Lemon Shortbread
How to Make a Miffy Onigiri
Japanese rice balls shaped like Miffy stuffed with tuna salad
Serves 2
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
- 2 cups cooked short grain rice
- tuna salad see notes
- seaweed cut into eyeballs and strips for the mouth
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Take a sheet of plastic wrap and line a small bowl or onigiri mold. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup rice in the bottom and make a small indent in it. Scoop 1 tablespoon of your filling of choice (I used tuna salad) then top with a bit more rice. Use the plastic wrap to compress and shape everything into a triangle shape.
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Wrap a sheet of seaweed around the bottom of the triangle and then make Miffy’s face with two circles and two strips of seaweed that you arrange in her signature x mouth.
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Grab two toothpicks and shape some rice around them as ears (keep your hands lightly wet to prevent sticking). Stick the ears into the triangle face and you have a Miffy onigiri!
