Zojirushi 101 | Zojirushi.com

ONIGIRI 101
Onigiri Fundamentals

So many kinds, so many shapes, so many sizes. The beautiful thing about onigiri is that as a snack food, experimentation is unlimited and it only gets better as onigiri fans continue to invent new ways to make it. We have many recipes on our own pages, so read through them to get to know your rice ball. We’ve also given you some new takes on our recipes to get you going even more—it’s Onigiri Time. Let’s go!

Classically Built Onigiri

The traditional style of onigiri—the ingredients go into the center and you mold the rice around it. Shape into a triangle and wrap with a sheet of nori (seaweed).

Beef Onigiri

Start with our Classically Built Onigiri, then add ground beef cooked with sugar, soy sauce, sake and pepper for the insides. Shape it, wrap it, then eat it!

Crisp Grilled Yaki-onigiri

When basted with soy sauce, this grilled variation offers a crispy hard shell on the outside and tender rice on the inside. Serve it smoky and right off the grill!

MisoYaki-onigiri

Use our yaki-onigiri recipe. Make a miso paste with miso, water and sugar. Spread it on your rice ball and sprinkle with sesame seeds, then toast until delicious.

Bean Onigiri Trio

Also easy to make, this style mixes the ingredients with the rice before molding into shape, so it’s not embedded inside. The result is attractive without the nori.

Mixed Egg Onigiri

Similar to our Bean Onigiri recipe, crumble fry some scrambled eggs and flavor with mirin, sugar and salt. Mix with your rice before shaping into rice balls for a tasty treat.

Spam® Musubi

Straight from Hawaii, this island favorite is well-known as one of the best ways to enjoy this famous canned meat. You won’t know what you’re missing unless you try it!

Onigiri Dog

Who says you can’t improve on a hot dog? Like our Spam® Musubi, get some sausage and place into a channel you create in a rice ball. Wrap with nori to hold in place, and voilà!

Eat more onigiri and share!

We want to see more onigiri from you—take pictures of your creations, with your friends, at your onigiri party, or at your picnic. Share your love of onigiri with us!

Calling all Onigiri fans

Zojirushi will be sponsoring Onigiri Action, a program operated by the nonprofit organization Table For Two. Between October 3 and November 16, 2024, post a photo of your onigiri to your social media using the #OnigiriAction, or upload to the Onigiri Action campaign page online. FIVE school meals will be donated to children in need around the world for every entry you post. Here’s how it works.

1.Take a photo to share.

2. Post on your social media with #OnigiriAction

3. School meals get delivered.

4. For more details go to Onigiri Action Campaign

TECHTALK 101

At Zojirushi we are constantly looking to make rice better, but we also want to show the world what delicious rice really means. We do this by developing and showing you delicious rice recipes, like the ones in this issue. Even a simple rice ball can have the most delicious rice you’ve ever tasted. In this section we’d like to show you all that we do to help us make the perfect bowl of rice, so you can experience it too.

The Rice Ball

You cannot get more basic than onigiri, but you can make it plain. Next time, try making a rice ball with fresh rice and just a sprinkle of salt—nothing else. If the rice is delicious, you’ll taste its true flavor.

The Functions

You shouldn’t have to worry about the right temperature to cook your rice, or when you’re supposed to take it off the heat. We’ve installed automatic functions that control all the processes, so you don’t have to.

The Menus

There may be different kinds of rice you want to cook, because we know that everyone has preferences; that’s what our menu options are for. Choose the menu you want, and our cookers adjust accordingly.

The Result

We started with plain Japanese white rice. Then we introduced brown rice, long grain white rice and Jasmine rice to adjust to the American market. The products we develop are for everyone to taste what’s deliciously possible.

How to Rice Ball

What do you think the basic characteristics of a good onigiri might be? We think it starts with excellent rice (not too mushy, not too dry), fresh nori (crisp and not too stale and limp), tasty ingredients (don’t skimp on this one), and finally, a handsome shape to it that is easy to handle and won’t break apart when you hold it. If all of these criteria are met, you’ll understand why there’s nothing better than a good rice ball for lunch.

Excellent Rice

It’s all about the rice. Other than sushi, using the best rice for your onigiri is critical. The rice is the star of a rice ball, right? Read our article on how to cook perfect rice.

Tasty Ingredients

What are the most popular kinds of onigiri in Japan? They are in no particular order—tuna-mayo, salmon, mentaiko (cod roe), umeboshi (pickled plum), kombu (kelp) and katsuo-bushi (dried bonito).

Fresh Nori

How important is crisp seaweed to onigiri? It is so important, you’ll see pre-packaged rice balls packed with the sheet of nori separately from the rice, to keep it from getting soggy.

Shapes and Sizes

There are triangle shapes, disc shapes, barrel shapes and spheres. See how Bert-san created these bite-sized golf ball shapes in different flavors. They make a great lunch box!

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