Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Onigiri are the portable rice balls that have fed travelers in Japan since ancient times, carried by samurai into battle and by schoolchildren into classrooms today. At their simplest they are just rice, salt, and a filling, wrapped in a sheet of crisp nori, and every region has its favorite filling and every family its own way of shaping them. Few foods are more humble, and few are more loved.

Humble rice, endlessly comforting

The rice is pressed into a compact, hand-friendly triangle that holds together without glue, with a pocket of savory salmon or tart umeboshi plum in the center. Each bite is cool, chewy, and lightly salted, with the nori adding a clean, briny snap. Wet your hands with salted water before shaping so the rice does not stick, and eat them within a few hours of making for the best texture. They are the perfect lunch, snack, or picnic food.

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