Japanese Bento Boxes: The Quintessential Lunch
Japanese Bento Boxes | The ‘bento box’ that has its origins in Japan is more or less familiar to everyone worldwide. However, it is only the few who will know in-depth about it as to why it is being used or how it is to be used and the benefits obtained from its use.
In Japan, the bento box is a part of every homemaker’s daily ritual, and there are different varieties in it to suit the needs and requirements of all. Every convenience store in Japan offers a wide array of bento box options, and there are several restaurants to having fancy and elaborate bento box lunches on their menu lists. However, it is more likely that people eat a homemade bento for lunch at their workplace.
The concept of the bento box has been around in the country of Japan for hundreds of years. The literal meaning of the word bento is ‘convenient’. The reason behind the meaning is that the bento offers an easy mode of eating lunch nicely packed on the go or in the office. However, the packing of the bento box is a skill that takes time to master. But once you are adept at it, there can be nothing better than eating lunch out of a bento that contains healthy, colourful, and portion-controlled food. A traditional bento box has a combination of food categories packed into it comprising rice, meat, eggs, fish, veggies, pickled foods, and fruit pieces. Today’s Japanese Bento Boxes have added more choices, but the essence remains the same: packing varied food preparations nutritious and including all food constituents.
Earlier preparing the lunch box used to be a ritual for the homemaker who used to pack it putting a great deal of thought, love and care. The convenience store or any supermarket in Japan today with an entire segment dedicated to the bento box provides an alternative. The lunch boxes stocked at these outlets are prepared for the day and have fresh foodstuff packed into them. You can buy these for your lunchtime or even take them home for the night. The stores often offer lunch boxes at low prices at the end of the day; otherwise, the food therein will have to be disposed of in the morning. Buying them at heavily discounted prices can prove to be a good deal.
The main advantage of these meals over the ready to eat meals in other regions of the world is that the bento box meals are normally healthy. Top-quality ingredients, coupled with comprehensive four bento food groups, make them very nutritious and are an excellent lunch option for all, especially those seeking to lose weight. The contents include fresh fish, cooked rice or variations of rice, lean meat and fresh fruit and veggies against calorie-rich foods and cheesy pasta items normally found in the western countries.
The wide array of sizes, materials and shapes available concerning Japanese lunch boxes has made them a trendy option for enjoying lunchtimes. Let’s hope that more and more of today’s generation resort to this mode of lunch.
Liked this Japanese Bento Boxes The Quintessential Lunch, why not try our comprehensive list of bento box ideas.
