The Art of Bento...

OK, let me begin by saying that the picture that I have of Ian's lunch this morning is NOT art, in ANY way... but I wanted to show how small these little lunchboxes (Bento boxes) are. It is roughly 4 & 1/2 inches long by 1 & 1/2 inches tall, and 2 & 1/2 inches wide, with two trays double stacking. I think the real art should be in how creative you get trying to put enough food in them! The boys love their little bento boxes though, and surprisingly, Ian ate everything in his today (his is pictured). It had a rice ball (that I used a heart-shaped mold to form) with Furikake mixed in, which is a little seasoning packet with seaweed, spices, salt, etc in it. There was also a Boca burger, broccoli florets, carrots, cherry tomatoes, almonds, and a little babybel cheese. The bento lunch is supposed to be eaten at room temperature, which is a little odd by American standards, but I don't think anyone gets sick from it, and the kids don't seem to mind. I did make the big mistake (I got the big Japanese arm "X") when I put in a small (2 inch, flat size) cold pack in the box last week, just to keep the cheese cool. Sensei told me, "No ice pack!"
Now, the Japanese get very fancy in creating Bento works of art for their lunches. They create shapes and figures out of seaweed paper (nori), cheese, carrots and other vegetables, and rice. They sell books with ideas so you can create your own masterpieces. It is pretty amazing, really! Here is a link to some info on bento art http://www.squidoo.com/mrbento
My friend Jennifer said she spent two hours one night preparing a special bento box for her daughter for a Japanese holiday. Let me tell you, I was so impressed! Luckily, I only have to prepare these lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe one day I'll do that for a special day, but probably not anytime soon, as my mornings are rushed enough...but I have to say, it is fun and I can see how a person gets caught up in creating beautiful lunches!