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Bento Box Culture In Japan A Never-Ending Piece Of Art
The theme is a character from a
Japanese fairy tale, Issun-Boshi, who is 3cm tall and travels in a
bowl. Known as Bento, the Japanese marmoset contains a variety of
colorful foods, arranged inside a small box.
The more beautiful the presentation,
the greater the representation of love for the person who is going to
eat it. Famous restaurateurs have also begun to offer meals based on Bentos.
This is a recent trend in traditional
Japanese cuisineBento originated from simple compact meals carried by
travelers, but during the centuries, they became more elaborate.
Today, Bentos have become edible
canvases, displaying the skill and imagination of their
creators. Today we will explore the history and aesthetics of Bento.
Bento A box full of ingenuity, the
ubiquitous marmoset in Japan. The food section of department stores
has several types of Bentos ready to sell, there is a section of Bento's especially recommended for lunch.
Special of the day, a burger made
from the tofu as an essential ingredient. And we have a large variety of
what is particularly popular in that store.
They are extremely colorful, and each
one contains a different variety of foods. You have to be early to
avoid the ruckus, because in no time at all these islands will be
full of office workers, and even housewives who come to buy their
bento.
There is a huge variety of styles of marmites that people buy and they are all popular. We will look at
some of them in detail throughout, but before we do that, let's see
how this phenomenon started in the first place.
Time for lunch in kindergarten.
Each of the children has a homemade bento to eat. Anything you take
to eat when you are away from home can be called a bento. Its a way
of eating and that is an essential part of the Japanese lifestyle.
There are also many stores that sell
Bento. Convenience stores are constantly developing new varieties,
and they usually see a significant increase in the number of
customers when they develop a bento that is particularly popular.
Today, annual sales of benthos yield 6
trillion yen, which is about $60 billion. Whether you carry your
homemade benthos or buy them in a store, there is a wide variety of
styles and ingredients.
But how did this phenomenon begin?
To find out, we will have to go back a
long way in the history of Japan. The oldest form of pork food, rice is known as Kare-ii, appeared between the 6th and 8th centuries. It is
known as the full runner of benthos.
People began to carry dry grains of
glutinous rice, which they reconstituted by soaking in water, either
cold or hot, to make them soft enough to eat. Rice is a basic product
in Japan.
It has long been known as an important
source of energy for people while they travel. Eventually, Kare-ii
was replaced by Nigirimeshi, rice cooked in the shape of balls.
This forms the basis of benthos. The
rice from Japan becomes sticky when boiled, so it is easy to form
balls that can be carried. This was very convenient for people who
were traveling for work or for war.
The beginning of the Edo period about
400 years ago introduced an era of peace and prosperity. Ordinary
people began to make leisure trips around the country, and this led
to a great evolution of benthos.
A wooden block painting from the 19th
century shows an outdoor picnic under a cherry tree. It was common to
carry food in benthos boxes for parties like those. It contains a
variety of foods considered a luxury in those days, such as gorilla
fish, sweet Japanese apricots, ferns, seaweed, and other treats.
Following the Chinese tradition, foods
that were red, yellow, green, white, or black were all included. This
variety of colors wasn't just to make the bento look appetizing, they
provided a perfect nutritious balance.
Drawers were set up to hold small
plates, all necessary for a pleasant excursion. Having a set like
this was a symbol of great status in those days. The Kabuki Theatre
became more popular from the 18th century onwards.
Because performances could last a
the whole day, the theater began to provide the hungry audience with
ready-made meals in Benedict's boxes.
As they were served during breaks, they
became known as Makunouchi, or "Benedict among acts. They
included a wide variety of ingredients, such as grilled rice balls, omelet, fish paste slices, and roasted tofu.
Usually, people ate in a very simple
way, so having a luxurious Makunouchi bento for dinner in the Kabuki
performances, was a treat. Even today, benthos including a wide
variety of prepared foods are called Makunouchi.
In the past, the word meant a
commemorative event. This tradition has been carefully preserved
until today. Leaving behind their daily routines, people went out to
have a fun day out. This led to the creation of different types of
benthos in Japan.
Springtime the flowers are really
beautiful, Ume is usually translated as Japanese apricot. Several
different shades, between white, very light pink, to these with a
dark pink tone.
And when these flowers appear, we know
that the cold of winter is almost gone, and spring is almost here.
when they see the flowers, the Japanese go out to see others and also
organize parties for enjoyment.
Parties mean food, drinks and of course
bento, the roots of bento were formed in the acts of preventing
hunger, in the days, that even a short trip was a great effort.
Today, however, the bento has become
an indispensable part of any meal outside the house. My bento was
packed, and it was packed in one of those beautiful fabrics called
Furoshiki.
I still don't know what's inside it,
the immense variety of foods you'll find in a box of benthos. Part of
the pleasure of any train ride is choosing a bento to eat while we
are in transit.
The benthos sold at the stations is
called Ekiben. Each area and station individually usually has its own specialty. Usually, the packaging and the box itself have different
designs.
Children love this Ekiben, which comes
in a container like a bullet train, the Shinkansen. It is filled with
the kind of food that is attractive to children, like spaghetti and
mini hamburgers.
There is plenty of pork in this bento,
and it is sold in a pork shaped container. It comes with a lid that
has a slit, and when you finish eating, it is good for another like a
little money pig.
Kamameshi is a way to cook rice with
vegetables on top. This Benedict includes a slice of bamboo shoots,
Shitake mushrooms, and other mountain specialties.
The ceramic recipient can be taken home
and reused to cook rice. It is not only the containers that make the Bentos so distinct, they usually receive suggestive names. One is
called Isaribi, referring to the fire that is carried on fishing
boats to attract squid and other fish.
It contains a variety of seafood, such
as the turban shell clam, fried shrimps, and herring wrapped in
seaweed. This is called the 21st-century Shutsujin benthos. Shutsujin
means "to go to war".
Konnyaku jelly is shaped like flags
carried by samurai, chestnuts were considered lucky in battle, and
sea snails represent the shrieking that was blown during battle. The
name suggests the preparation to face the new century.
There are bentos like Beppin San,
which refers to a beautiful woman. It contains healthy low-calorie
foods such as tofu and vegetables. Then he conveys an image that
suggests they will become beautiful and thin.
The purple pickles and green peas are
organized to form a flower. This creativity is not restricted only to
the blessings sold in stores. Homemade benthos also offer great
opportunities for creativity.
Using a cherry blossom-shaped cutter,
you can cut Kamaboko fish paste or ham into petal-shaped pieces.
Organized on rice, this gives Bento the perfect feeling of spring.
The sausage octopus is always a success with the children.
The sausage is split in half and then
fried, then taking the shape of an octopus with its tentacles folded
up. Boiled eggs are more attractive if they are cut with a bite edge.
Cucumbers are cut in different ways,
making them more interesting. Homemade bento are full of small
decorations that add pleasure to the eating experience. Some people
like to display their designsof benthos.
Some japnease takes photos of the
various benthos that they makes for their family, and they creates
an exhibition periodically. their remarkable creativity about benthos
is extremely popular, and every day their site receives over 3,500
hits.
thry made this benthos for their
husband after they came home late at night, several days in a row
after going out for a drink. Made of seaweed and eggs, the central
theme is an angry bird.
The unique bento design was a means
for them to express their frustration. The bento that they made is
for school sports day. It was made to encourage their children to do
their best in the relay race.
The faces are made of ham, the carrot
hats and fried egg white. we can really communicate using the bento.
The changes of the seasons, things you notice around town, little
discoveries, all these things can be incorporated into a bento that
you can share with your family.
The names, the ingredients and the
design, all these are important elements to prepare the bento. They
have become a means of communication, a way for the creator to
express his feelings to the person who is going to eat it.
As you can see, benthos come in all
kinds of containers, what's inside has an incredible variety too, and
they even get some interesting names. They wonder what they have and
they think now it's time to open it.
The Furoshiki is absolutely beautiful
too, and it looks very seasonal too. A spring sensation, and I
imagine, or rather, I hope that what's inside hasa spring tone too.
Is really beautiful. A two-ply box contains the five colors you have
to have, which is red, yellow, green, other than black and white.
And it contains all those, and they
have some beautiful shapes, look at these little carrots cut in the
shape of a cherry blossom.The Kamaboko was cut and tied in an organic
way almost like a little petal or something.
There are asparagus, the yellow of the
omelet , a shrimp representing the rose. These are the Nanohana,
which are mustard green. Above these are some bamboo shoots. There's
a fish, I imagine is a kind of Mako, with that little slice of lemon
on top. All colors and kinds of different shapes, and everything is
very seasonal too.
At the bottom, basically the rice, but
we have some cherry blossoms, just to give that extra feeling of
seasonality. My bento got a name too. In Japanese it's Ume no Kaori,
which means Damascus Aroma.
I am sure you got an idea how
wonderful the food looks, but you may also have noticed that the
container itself has a refined look. Next we will take a look at how
these boxes are made.
The popular growth of benthos has
encouraged the creation of several types of containers with ingenious
designs. There is one type of bento box, which was generally used by
ordinary people in the past. Now it has become highly valued as a
traditional craftsmanship.
Called Wappa or Menpa, it is made of
wood such as Cider or Cypress. There is a long tradition in Japan of
using wood as a material for houses or utensils. This same knowledge
has also been used to produce bento boxes.
The Craftsmen family has done this for
4 generations. He uses locally planted high quality cypress wood. A
strip of fine wood is soaked in hot water to soften it, and then
assembled around the mold. bending the wood into the desired shape.
Any error in this stage means that the benthic box will not have a
perfect fit afterwards.
A cherry bark strip holds the bent wood
together. This bark is strong, and also very attractive, perfect for
the job. Wappa wooden boxes absorb any excess moisture from the
boiled rice. This means that the rice does not get too sticky and
keeps its taste. It all depends on the skill of the craftsman.
The slightest mistake means that the
beautiful box may not fit properly, it takes a lot of experience to
produce these wooden boxes. Traditional boxes are made all over
Japan. In Akita's province, cider wood is the preferred material.
Sometimes the inside of the box is
coated with varnish to add a different finishing touch. The use of
natural varnish is derived from tree sap. Treating the wood in this
way not only gives the box a more attractive look, but also makes it
more durable. Due to the type of varnish, it still allows the wood in
the box to adjust to the moisture in the food.
This type of box is a product of the
craftsman's ability to combine natural materials like wood and
varnish.Simple, but it is perfect for transporting delicious foods,
organized inside.
My bento box was made by the exact same
craftsman, and as I said before, it is a 2 layer box, and the top
part fits perfectly with the bottom part.
It's really a quality piece of
craftsmanship, using cherry peel. The lid fits perfectly like that.
Now, the interesting part is that top part, where the cooked food is
placed, is varnished, and the bottom is not.
The reason for this is that when you
have cooked food, you are likely to have sauces or other elements,
which will possibly stain the wood, so the varnish prevents that from
happening, and the varnish is on the lid as well.
The bottom has no varnish, The reason
for this is that the cider wood from which this box is made has a
very good fragrance. Absolutely stunning And, of course, we don't put
our nose straight in the box, but when we are eating the rice, we
feel a slight touch of this fragrance.
And it makes the rice even tastier, the
whole set is very well done. As we have seen, bentos has developed as
a way of eating out, without compromising the quality of the food as
a whole.
Now, through the last decades, a
separate culture of benthos has taken place with the intention of
being eaten indoors, and they have begun to appear in some Japanese
restaurants.
The bentos are developed so that people
can carry cooked food when they are travelling, with a variety of
food contained in a single container. However, in the middle of the
20th century, a different style of bento emerged.
The restaurant in Kyoto's Fushimi
district serves the traditional Kaiseki cuisine. It has been
operating for 250 years. The owner offers a less formal version of
the Kaiseki restaurant served in the style of bento. In reality, it
does not involve a box of bento.
Instead, 6 small bowls are positioned
in a cherry blossom-shaped basket with the food arranged inside the
bowls. Each individual portion contains a colorful selection of
foods, which have been prepared in different ways.
There is a plate of raw foods,
composed of very fresh sashimis. Some dish is being prepared with
Yokowa, a kind of Tuna and Gold. It's bamboo sprout season. They are
cooked in a broth together with petasite sprouts, Japanese pepper
leaves, and raw gold.
The grilled dish is trout, served with
Yawata Maki, an eel wrapped in a piece of burdock root, and cut
flower-shaped Lotus root. A slice of omelette and a chrysanthemum
leaf add an extra color.
Usually in a restaurant serving Kaiseki
cuisine, each dish is served separately, one at a time. However, here
they are all served at once, in a single basket. The elaborate
Kaiseki culinary has been combined with the convenience of bento.
The preparations follow traditional
recipes, but are presented in a more casual style. The Bento and the
Kaiseki, share the same principles. This is only a compact format.
Both are based on the basic principles of Japanese cuisine, the 5
flavors, the 5 colors, and the 5 cooking techniques.
They offer a variety of flavors,
colors, and cooking techniques. All of this takes place in the form
of our bento. Each individual dish receives a decoration that
reflects the season of the year. In a previous Kaiseki meal, that
would be the first dish.
Served with sake, it has several
seasonal ingredients. Sakurazushi, a sushi rice wrapped in a cherry
leaf. This dish contains several elements that reflect the spring,
such as bamboo shoots, served with a green sauce of Japanese pepper
leaves.
It is visually decorated with edible
woollen bulbs, which have been shaped in the shape of a cherry tree
petal, all his decorations and trimmings, are based on the same
aesthetic principle.
In Kyoto, it is called Hannari, but
not very elaborate or eye-catching. It has a simple elegance, and a
beauty that attracts you. This is the which we focus on. Reflections
like this one convey a sensation of spring, but without being
presented in a super elaborate way.
This is the feeling transmitted by this
refrain of bento. In the old days, bento were made only of dry grains
of rice or boiled rice, molded into a ball shape to make it easier to
carry.
Over the years, several other
influences have been incorporated, to create new shapes and different
styles. The word "Bento" does not evoke an image of
something like that. The type of meal is commonly known as Kaiseki,
which means it is a meal of multiple dishes, and the dishes will be
brought in order.
Because they are served at lunchtime,
and because all the dishes are brought in this one basket, it is then
referred to as bento. But rarely will you see such a bento one.
almost like looking at a work of art. Besides, this space is
wonderful.
Conclusion
Traditional architecture is almost
like a work of art too, but this is really impressive. The Japanese
have a talent for creating complex works with very limited spaces.
Some examples are the Bonsai, Ikebana flower arrangements, and
traditional Japanese gardens.
Perhaps the same thing can also be said
for Bonsai. And perhaps, specifically because this basis is so
limited and clearly defined, that so much effort and creativity goes
into creating the contents of Bonsai.
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