Simply put, bento is a Japanese boxed lunch. In Japan there are many types of bento, some are for special occasions, some are for specific locations and some are just lunch. A typical box lunch is 50% rice and the rest is a mix of veggies, meat, fish, eggs and fruit. These ingredients are simply and tastefully arranged to be visually appealing and to enhance the eating experience. Simple, clean, properly portioned and tasty.
If you would like to learn more, I have found a few web sites that do a much better job than I could at describing the finer points of bento.
“When a person eats a box lunch prepared by a loved one, the preparer’s feelings are transmitted through the food. In other words, the bento serves as a vehicle for communication between the maker and the eater. A bento prepared at home is imbued with the love of the eater’s family.”
“Food in Japan is famously prepared as much for the eyes as for the palate. This is true even for Japanese preschoolers, most of whom take an elaborate, adorable mom-made meal, called obento, to school every day. The tradition becomes part of the social education of both parent and child and creates a connection between home and school for a youngster’s earliest forays away from family.”
“Nursery schools have established regulations for obento. All children must bring one for lunch and each obento should have the following properties:
- Food should be prepared in such a way that it is easy to eat.
- Food must be prepared in such a way that it can be eaten with chopsticks or with the fingers.
- Portions should be small.
- Food that a child does not like should be slowly introduced so that the child will not be a fussy eater.
- The obento must be pretty and pleasing to the eye.
- Obento should be as handmade as possible, including the obento bag (obentobukuro) in which the obento is contained.”
