The Art of Bento: Delicious On-the-Go Meals with Zojirushi Lunch Jars

On the left, is a blue lunch jar with a container of rice and a container with a lunch in the shape of an owl. On the right, a gray stainless lunch jar with three containers, one has a lunch in the shape of a school bus, another container with a veggie soup, and riced cauliflower on the largest container

Hey, Zo Fans!

Picture this: delectable meals, fresh and flavorful, no matter where your day takes you. Whether you’re packing lunch for work or school, Zojirushi’s vacuum-insulated lunch jars are the perfect way to keep your food fresh and delicious all day. In today’s blog, we’ll give you a closer look at our entire lineup of lunch jars, so you can choose the perfect one to fit your lifestyle.

Meet the Lunch Jars

Our lunch jars are designed with advanced vacuum insulation technology to ensure your food stays hot or cold for hours. Crafted with a durable 18/8 stainless steel inner jar, these bento lunch jars offer superior durability and reliability while tight-fitting gasket seals in freshness. Get to know each of our lunch jars and the unique features that make them stand out:

Classic Stainless Lunch Jar SL-XE20

Deep blue lunch jar with black trimmings and three separate black colored containers. The largest one is filled with rice, one is filled with a vegetable soup and the third is filled with assorted veggies and protein.

  • Enjoy generous meal portions with the spacious main container and two side containers.
  • Conveniently reheat your food with microwave-safe containers (except the lids).
  • It also includes chopsticks, a chopsticks holder, and a convenient carry strap for easy transport!

Mr. Bento® Stainless Lunch Jar SL-JBE14

Lunch jar shown in black, stainless, plum, and blue. All with 4 different containers, a forked spoon, and a carrying bag.

  • Indulge in multi-course meals with the main bowl, soup bowl, and two side bowls.
  • Stay organized and complete with the included carrying bag and forked spoon, creating a comprehensive on-the-go meal solution.
  • Choose from four available colors: Plum (-VZ), Blueberry (-AZ), Carbon Black (-BZ), Stainless (-XA).

Ms. Bento® Stainless Lunch Jar SL-MEE07

Light blue lunch jar with two containers filled with food, a chopstick set, and carrying tote.

  • Embrace portion control and versatility with the soup bowl and two side bowls
  • Keep your different food items separate with the practical partition in the side bowl.

Travel confidently and enjoy your meal anywhere with the included tote that is large enough to accommodate a small drink and snacks.

Ms. Bento® Stainless Lunch Jar SL-NCE09

Stainless gray lunch jar with 3 separate containers on the right, a forked spoon with a cover in the front, and a two toned gray carry tote in the back

  • Experience simplicity and portability with a compact design, perfect for single-serve meals or snacks.
  • The large, washable carrying tote bag can also fit a beverage and snacks
  • Includes forked spoon with cover.

Classic Bento® Stainless Lunch Jar SL-GRE18

Black lunch jar with gray trimmings, three gray containers, a forked spoon with cover, a chopsticks set, and a carry bag in the back.

  • Take a complete meal with you with the help of the Classic Bento®. Not only does it include a pair of chopsticks with a protective cover but it also comes with a forked spoon.
  • The convenient carry strap and protective cover makes taking it with you a cinch.
  • 3 microwaveable inner bowls, which also includes a bowl specially designed for soups.

Now that you’ve gotten to know our lunch jars, what do you plan on making for lunch?

Bento Recipes

Here are some school and work lunch ideas you can prepare for your Zojirushi bento sets, mix and match them as you like!

Creamy potato soup served in a blue insulated food jar topped with chives and served with a side of bread

Pinwheel pasta salad with lettuce and tomato served in a green vacuum insulated food jar and a pretzel bun

Blue vacuum insulated food jar filled with spicy mapo tofu served with rice balls

Not only will Zojirushi lunch jars keep it fresh and delicious all day long, but they’re also a great way to reduce your environmental impact by reducing the amount of waste produced from single-use plastic containers. If you’re looking for a healthy, convenient, and environmentally friendly way to pack your lunch, a Zojirushi lunch jar is the perfect solution. What will you be putting in your lunch jar? Share your comments and lunch ideas for work or school with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #ZojirushiUSA #ZoFan

Plan the Perfect Picnic with Zojirushi’s Insulated Food Jars

Whether it’s a lunch break, family outing, or a picnic in the park with friends, August is the perfect time of year to enjoy the great outdoors. In fact, August is National Picnic Month! If you’re looking to kick off your next outdoor adventure, don’t forget to take a delicious lunch or bento to reenergize yourself throughout your day. Not sure what to pack? We’ve got you covered. Today, we’ll be sharing some healthy, fresh, and fun recipes that you can pack in Stainless Steel Food Jars. Let’s get to it!

Get to Know the Stainless Steel Food Jar SW-EAE35/50

Have you met our Stainless Steel Food Jar SW-EAE35/50? Our compact vacuum insulated food vessels keep foods or beverages hot or cold for hours, and with a tight-fitted lid with gasket which minimizes leaks and maximizes temperature retention. Available in five unique colors and in 12 oz. and 17 oz. sizes, they’re the perfect companions for drinks, snacks, and meals on the go!

With our Zojirushi food jars, you can place food or drink right in the jar, pack it, and forget it until you’re ready to enjoy! The 2-1/2-inch wide opening allows you to eat directly out of the jar, saving the need for extra plate ware, and also makes it easy to clean when you’re finished. As always, all surfaces that come in contact with food are made of BPA-free plastic and stainless steel. Learn more by watching our short product video.

Healthy, Portable Picnic Dishes

Now that you’ve gotten to know our Stainless Steel Food Jar SW-EAE35/50, let’s dive into some seasonal beverages and foods that you can prep for your next outdoor adventure.

Drinks

Did you know that our vacuum-insulated food jars can double as drink holders, too? Yes! We use the same vacuum insulated technology to keep drinks cold for hours, and our non-spill design will make sure that your drinks won’t leak. Win-win.

  • Iced Black Tea: Classic, simple, and packed with caffeine to wake you up when you need a boost. If you want to add some sweetness to this drink, add rock sugar while the tea is hot (before you ice).
  • Iced Green Tea Mocktail: This refreshing medley of green tea, grapefruit, and mint is the perfect drink for summertime. Remember to let the tea steep for 3-4 minutes before adding ice to the drink.
  • Green Tea White Virgin Sangria: Want a fruity drink and snack all in one? Gather your favorite fruits and steep them with tea, grape juice, and cinnamon. We recommend apples, kiwi, cucumber, and lemons.

Noodles

Because our food jars are ideal for both liquids and foods, one of our favorite ways to use our Zojirushi food jars is to pack different noodle dishes. Here are two recipes that will cool you down after a hot summer hike:

  • Chilled Harusame Noodle: Refreshing, cold cellophane noodles with crunchy cucumbers and kimchi. Add in other sliced ingredients like ham to your liking.
  • Chilled Out Ramen Salad: The great thing about our food jars is that they will prevent chilled noodles from going soggy! Dress this ramen salad with Japanese mustard, sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Dessert

Yes, you can pack dessert in your food jar too! And what’s better than indulging in a sweet treat after a hearty meal? Here are some ideas for refreshing desserts on the go:

  • Black Tea Panna Cotta: Creamy, indulgent, and chilled to perfection.
  • Mango Gelatin: You can use gelatin and hot water to make a quick chilled dessert, like this tropical medley of milk and mango. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Now that you know what you’ll be packing for your next adventure, where will you plan to go next? Let us know your thoughts by tagging Zojirushi on your photos with #zojirushi on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!

Japanese Bento – Kyaraben!

We’ve saved the best for our final post in our Japanese Bento series… kyaraben!

Character bento, or kyaraben, are famous for their style, originality, fun and creativity. Initially created to entice children to eat their lunch, kyaraben focus on the concept of “kawaii”, or cuteness, to present a well-balanced meal in a convenient, portable bento box.

Kyaraben come in an endless variety, all depending on the creativity and wherewithal of the maker. The simplest kyaraben showcase cars, trains, airplanes, stars, hearts and flowers. As the kyaraben artist makes more sophisticated bento, they add cute animal shapes to the bento, including grinning panda bear patties, smiling penguin rice balls, octopus-shaped sausages with flapping arms, porky pigs and small rabbit-eared eggs.

The most popular types of kyaraben, in Japan and internationally, are ones that showcase characters from Japanese anime and manga as well as from Western animated TV shows and movies. Imagine eating a nutritious lunch with Hello Kitty or Gudetama! And how about Doraemon and Pikachu, stacked with fried chicken and sausages! And let’s not forget Totoro and Anpanman on a bed of fried rice surrounded by colorful carrots and edamame! And for kids who love American cartoons, Disney’s Tsum Tsum characters and Winnie the Pooh are big favorites!

Kyaraben artists use both everyday kitchen tools along with special tools made for creating character bento. Plastic wrap is generally used to shape rice balls, but special shapes can also be made using rice molds. Vegetables can be julienned with a sharp knife and also cut into flowers, stars and clouds using miniature veggie cutters. And meats, poultry and seafood are served in bite-sized pieces. Rice and other items are decorated with cutouts of nori seaweed or with designed using powdered seaweed sprinkled through stencils. So elaborate are kyaraben designs that numerous books have been published and popular blogs such as Little Miss Bento are visited by foodies from all over the world!

Ready to try your hand at kyaraben? Check out our ideas for these beautifully-shaped fun bento. And as always, be sure to share your pictures with us!

Japanese Bento – Ekiben!

One of the most recognizable types of bento are ekiben… and this month, we’re excited to explore these boxed meals that are famously found at railway stations!

Ekiben are special types of bento, or boxed meals, and the name is a compilation of “eki” which means station and “ben” short for bento. They were originally only available at railway stations, to travelers looking for fresh food, and were designed to enhance the adventure of travel. Imagine being able to eat a wholesome, carefully prepared meal while watching the scenery go by!

The advent of ekiben coincides with the advent of the Japanese railway. In 1872, the first train began service in Japan, from Yokohama to Shimbashi in Tokyo. As the rail system grew, travelers’ needs grew, too, and ekiben made their debut in the late 1870’s to the early 1880’s. This first ekiben was essentially a rice ball. Realizing how large of a market there might be for fresh, boxed meals for travelers at railway stations, more and more vendors began selling ekiben, showcasing their wares by holding them in carriers around their necks and selling them to passengers through the open windows of trains. By 1910, ekiben had increased in popularity to such an extent that vendors began creating regional recipes and packaging to reflect the specialties available at their local train stations. One of the most famous specialized ekiben was introduced in 1941 by a local ekiben shop in Hakodate, Hokkaido, during a time when rice was not plentifully available because of World War II. They stuffed a small amount of rice into squid and simmered it in a savory sauce. This rice-stuffed squid is still popular today!

Ekiben design and ingredients were also influenced by popular culture. In the 1970’s, when popular television shows became a mainstream form of entertainment, vendors began selling ekiben that mimicked those found in TV. Travelers always recognized them! But soon after, many Japanese stopped traveling as much by train, as owning vehicles and traveling by plane became easier. Ekiben sales decreased by approximately 50% between 1987 and 2008! To counter this downward trend, ekiben vendors got even more creative and innovative, such that today travelers can find elaborate ekiben at stations.

The Shinkansen E7 Series Bento is a great ekiben to purchase when traveling by bullet train, especially for kids! The container looks like a shinkansen train and it can be used to hold small keepsakes after the food is gone. The Gyu-tan Bento, from the Sendai area, uses a self-heating container that heats the food inside when activated. The Feel Good Meal sold at Matsue Station comes with sake. Rustic ekiben evoke nostalgia, like the Toge No Kamameshi rice bowls. Sometimes the boxes seem ordinary, but the wrappers are works of art, commemorating modern and historical events, samurai, manga and famous people.

Ekiben are made by independent artisans and also in larger factories. Regardless of where the ekiben originate, freshness and quality are of utmost importance. Even department stores have gotten onto the ekiben train! They host multiweek festivals, showcasing ekiben from various regions of Japan and giving buyers a chance to experience the flavor of travel, without leaving home.

When you’re feeling the bug to travel but can’t manage a trip to Japan, try making some popular items found in ekiben. As always, white rice is a key ingredient in bento, and items like mini-hamburgers and aemono are great additions to a balanced bento. Try out these recipes and let us know what your favorite bento items are!

Japanese Bento – Get ‘Em At Your Local Store!

In case you can’t tell, we love bento! We’re continuing our Japanese Bento series this month with an entertaining look at where to find ready-made bento in Japan!

Bento are quite often made at home to take to school, the office or outdoor events, but delicious bento can easily be purchased at shops, railway stations, convenience stores and department stores across Japan, too.

During the late 19th century when Japan was going through the height of industrialization, travel by rail became commonplace and enterprising vendors began selling prepackaged bento at train stations. These bento were called ekiben, with “eki” standing for station and “ben” for bento. These types of bento made prepackaged, wholesome food available for workers and travelers outside of their homes, and the trend spread to vendors and shops throughout cities. Prepackaged bento became more and more popular, especially after World War II, and began to be sold in supermarkets. In the 1980’s, convenience stores started to sell bento boxes, and with soaring demand, dedicated bento shops opened, offering some of the most tasty and innovative combinations. These shops are sometimes open 24 hours a day!

An ekiben with a vast array of bento combinations in Shin-Osaka Station (photo by bryan…)

So where should you go for bento?

Konbini, or convenience stores, are ubiquitous and serve various combinations of premade bento, including hamburger patties, steak, karaage fried chicken and salmon, at an inexpensive price. In cold weather, tonjiru or miso soup with pork, and other soups are popular additions to a bento set. The nice part of getting bento from konbini is that customers can take the meal home or to the office and warm it up in a microwave.

Customers buy bento at a Hokka Hokka Tei location (photo by 山海风)

Bento shops serve freshly made bento along with prepackaged ones. Some of the most popular shops in Japan are Hotto Motto, Hokka Hokka Tei, Origin Bento and Honke Kamadoya. These dedicated bento shops often allow customers to create their own combinations by selecting mains, sides and salads from the restaurant menu. Nori seaweed sets with grilled salmon, savory breaded tonkatsu pork and fried karaage chicken are often the most popular items. Served with pickles, salad, vegetable sides and rice, these bento from dedicated shops are the best takeout–and can be purchased at around ¥500 (or $5 USD)—in Japan!

Supermarkets are onboard with bento as well. At the end of the aisles, in sozai (prepared side dish) corners, supermarkets in Japan also carry several bento that you can take home to eat. These bento often become easy dinners for many working people in cities.

Vendors selling an array of food in a depachika (photo by ayustety)

When looking for a fancier bento meal, depachika are the best places to go. Depachika are the basement levels of department stores, where groceries, delis, gourmet food stalls, sweet shops, chocolatiers, alcohol and bento vendors are located. The bento found in depachika range from the kinds found at konbini and bento shops to fancier ones with premium items such as Kobe beef or matsutake mushrooms. Depachika vendors are also constantly adding new and flavorful items to create innovative bento. While many customers pick up bento to go, some diners prefer to select their bento and enjoy the public eating areas, like small gardens or the store rooftops, for their meal. Some even call depachika a bento wonderland!

Bento are very popular in Japan and they can be found at train stations or airports. Stay tuned for our post next month where we talk about ekiben and the types of the wonderful items in them!