Frequently Asked Questions
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Question: I read in various places that you shouldn't put raw things in bento. What's your take on this?

It depends on which raw food. Fruits and veggies are fine, but some foods like raw meat, dairy or even cooked eggs may spoil. Refrigeration is a good idea, but some people don't – especially if the bento box they are using isn't microwave safe.

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Question: How do I clean my bamboo rolling mat?

from ichigogeisha: Pick off the obvious bits and then roll it up and toss it in the dishwasher - it hasn't fallen apart yet. I used to wash it with a soft sponge and then I'd roll it up and lean it up against something to air dry and keep its shape.

from anonymous: Wipe it down. The string warped a little, but rolling it up has made it regain its shape.

from mylunch: A way to avoid this problem altogether is to cover the mat with plastic wrap and place the nori, rice, etc on that.

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Question: How many of you have bento/food blogs? From those of you who do, what made you decide to start one?

from lalalunch: i don't think it's necessary to do anything fancy to have a food blog. my journal is just really crappy pictures of my lunch and a little description. and as cheesy as it sounds, it's like a little spark in my day.

from cutest_bebe76: I got inspired by mmmbento and started my own up. I use my camera on my photo for the piccies that's about it.

from teapriestess: Yeah I started because of mmmbento and vegan lunchbox (over @ blogspot). I wanted to to a food journal anyway but I just couldn't keep up with it on paper...that just bored me. Taking pictures of it daily I'm more aware of my food choices, I'm more active about making it look attractive (even if it isn't a work of art), and I'm more apt to keep it up since I do it almost everyday. I love when other people write commentary about their food because it inspires me to try different things that I probably wouldn't otherwise.

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Question: Do you reheat your bento, or eat it at room temperature?

It depends on personal preference, your bento box and what's in it. Some foods are better cold and some are better hot. If you are packing one of these kinds of foods, it's a good idea to use a microwaveable bento.

anchovylove uses a blue gel pack to keep foods warm if the bento is not microwaveable.

mmmbento and ichigogeisha and others eat their bentos at room temperature.

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Question: How far ahead of time can you make onigiri?

from madlovescience: I've made them homemade the night before and they were ok. I don't think I'd chance any longer than that though, since even the premade ones kind of get stale after the first day or so. (I had bought like 5 of them at once one time thinking this will be great! :D and it didn't really work out lol)

from teapriestess: ITA...I've made them and they've kept overnight. The longest I've gone was 1 day (meaning I made them and didn't take them until a whole day later). They weren't bad...but weren't the best either.

from jeanie_ppk: It should be fine to keep them overnight for a few nights (Sometime even better because the filling flavor goes into the rice). Just wrap it tight with plastic wrap and put the nori on before serving, or it will get soggy.

Or you can try looking around your local Asian or Japanese markets. They might sell plastic onigiri wrappers (like this) that separates the nori until ready to eat. I get them at a Ranch 99 Market near my house.

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Question: Is cooking time to hard boil a quail egg different than for size large hen's eggs?


inaurolillium: Cooking time is less than half the time for hen's eggs. Try putting the eggs in a pot, covering them with water, bringing it up to a boil, then immediately taking it off the heat. Let sit in the hot water for 4-5 minutes, then cool by running cold water over them & check for doneness. You may need to adjust the time a bit, try it out and see.
This was the method recommended by my chef-instructor, I haven't tried it out myself yet.

moonchylde: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/boiledquailseggswith_72770.shtml
1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the quail's eggs for 2-3 minutes.

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Question: What utensils do you use for making certain shapes?

Onigiri can be shaped by hand, but there are also molds available.

Hard-boiled eggs are usually shaped with molds.

Vegetable cutters are often used to cut carrots, apples, cucumbers, and many other fruits and vegetables. Some also cut their vegetables by hand.

Pre-cut nori is available. Many members use kitchen scissors or knives to cut their nori into other shapes.

Bamboo mats and sometimes plastic wrap are used for rolling sushi.

Please click here for the list of stores where these items are available.


Question: What do you do with the leftovers after using cookie/vegetable cutters?


The general consensus is to eat them either while packing or for breakfast; though lls suggests using them in a salad.

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Question: How do you make shapes from carrots (and other vegetables with small diameters)?


_kaguyahime: *tiny* cookie cutters! ;) Here's an example of what a lot of people use: http://www.clayalley.com/cutters.htm

kat_zilla: I've noticed that my local Asian market sells carrots that are 2-3 times the width of the average supermarket carrot.

ss_biggie: You can cut little lengthwise planks from your carrots/veggies, and use long, skinny cutters on that.

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Question: What kind of rice do you use to make onigiri and sushi?

Sushi rice, aka short-grained rice, is best for both but other types of rice can be used as well.

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Question: Are dividers necessary/helpful?

It depends on what kind of foods it is being used for. Many times if the foods would not taste good if the flavors are mixed together, it would be a good idea to separate them somehow. Other times foods can be crowded together without a divider and taste fine. Sometimes the first function of dividers is decoration and the second function is keeping foods separate.

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Question: How do you get sauce into those little containers?

Some containers come with a filler, but for those containers that don't: put the sauce into a bowl, squeeze the bottle, then put the neck of the bottle in the sauce and release. The sauce is sucked into the bottle. A similar method can be used to clean them with soapy water or plain water.

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Question: Are there rules to what kind of food you should put into a bento?

Definitely not. You can post whatever you like in your bento box -- you're the one preparing and eating it, after all. The following are guidelines, but you don't necessarily have to adhere to them.

from eat_juice: I'm a beginner as well, and I wouldn't necessarily say that there are rules to follow when packing your bento, but you certainly don't want to be putting anything too "wet" in it.

Check out this site, it helped me out.

from misoranomegami: In reality, heck no. I have Japanese bento books that have all different types of foods in them and the recipies range from things as simple as a sandwhich to literal works of art. At least in the US you see people make breakfast and desert bentos too! Just make something that will store well until lunch, is tasty and convenient. And don't be afraid to spend a little extra time to do something special for yourself each day!

The more traditional types of bento you see tend to break down into a pretty basic system; some sort of rice or noodle, 1-2 main dishes and some side dishes (veggies, fruit etc). Flip back through the old posts. See what people made. Check out what looks good. There are lots of little tricks to make things look cute but never forget in the end you're supposed to eat it so make something that you want to eat!

from cutest_bebe76: I read this in a article when I started bento'ing. Bentos encourages a balance meal so for a balance meal you should aim for the following:
- Rice* to Side Dishes ratio 1:1
- Within Side Dishes Vegetable to Meat to Fruit should be 2:1:1

* carbohydrates can be noodles, bread, cous cous etc
Here is a brillant book.

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Question: What are some good online resources for making sushi?

xhappyx suggests: this recipe for California rolls.

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Question: Where do you all get your bento boxes and supplies?
Please click here for the list of stores at which our members shop online, or here for a city-specific list.

Question: What does [Japanese word] mean?
Please click here for the glossary of terms. If what you're looking for isn't there, try NihongoResources.