I am familiar with the idea of Bento for a long time, but apparently, I got it all wrong!
I was sure Bento is just a form of a takeaway meal bought in a restaurant, and, even worse, I was sure Bento is a kind of synonymous tn Japanese to fast food...
My bad, I'm so ashamed of my mistake!
So what is Bento after all? Bento (written 弁当) is the Japanese word for a meal served in a box. Beyond that basic definition though, just about anything goes as to what kind of box or container is used, as well as what is put inside that box (Thanks Just Bento for the clear description!).
And as in many other Japanese concepts, when making Bento, you care about its aesthetics at least as you care about the quality of the food.
The result is a box of magic! Healthy food served in the most wonderful appealing way.
Here are some beautiful examples of Bento meals:
Miso marinated pork + using up leftover bits from decorating bentos by Just Bento
Kimbap Bento and Bijou Toddler Bento by sherimiya
Lunch box by FromEast2005
Kindergarten Bento #278 by Wendy Copley
In the great site Just Bento you can find many tips of making your Bento meal with healthy recipes and many great inspiring photos.
I would try this out in the next weeks. Of course, now my only obstacle will be to find a nice Bento box. But I tend to relate to this kind of obstacles as a real treat! Hmmmm... can't be that bad - the search of the ultimate Bento box!
Hopefully I will have some Bento photos of my own to share with you soon.
In the meantime Happy Australia Day Aussie fellows and have a great Tuesday all of you in the rest of the world!
Those photographs make me hungry. The Japanese are like King Midas, except that whatever they touch becomes cute.
ReplyDeleteYUM! I have a few bento boxes at home, and I've never mastered the artform, but it's fun to try! :)
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