2025/01/22 [Wed]
Hey everyone, Jorge here! It’s the middle of the week—Wednesday already. For those with a regular work week, you’re halfway there. Today at the hostel, we have the first floor rented out for a special event. These past few weeks, we’ve had an onigiri shop using the space on Wednesdays.
How do you feel about onigiri, or rice balls? You’ve probably noticed they’re more like triangles than balls, right? Interestingly, “onigiri” literally means “to grasp” in English, because you hold them tightly as you eat. They’re also called “musubi,” which means “to bind,” referring to how the rice and fillings are bound together. I actually didn’t know this for quite some time! I once saw onigiri being sold as “omusubi” at a festival but didn’t think much of it. Later, while watching a Japanese TV show, I heard the term “musubi” again and decided to look it up. Pretty cool, right? I never questioned why they weren’t ball-shaped, even when working as a school teacher and seeing students make them in home economics class. Have you ever thought about this? Maybe you have, or maybe you’re finding out now!
Rice balls are quite fascinating. At convenience stores, you’ll find a large variety with different fillings and even types of rice, like brown or jasmine rice with turmeric. Interesting right? There are also more upscale onigiri with pricier ingredients, yet they’re still quite affordable. I always wondered what a specialty onigiri shop could offer.
I finally got my chance to find out after weeks of wanting to try one if there were any leftovers. The shop owner handed me a cod-roe and cream cheese onigiri. I wonder if she remembered me mentioning that it sounded like the most delicious one on their menu. I love cod-roe flavored foods and anything with cream cheese—it’s why I adore American sushi rolls with cream cheese! So, I was thrilled to try this onigiri, and boy, was it worth it. It was warm and delicious, and I took big bites in excitement. I almost forgot to take a picture! The meal included Tonjiru soup, a pork and vegetable soup with dashi and miso broth, and two pieces of rolled egg. I’d love to share a photo of the meal, but I devoured it. At least you can enjoy a picture of the half-eaten onigiri I remembered to snap. I’m sorry if you are the type of person who might think this is gross. It looks better half eaten! Since you can see the filling now!
What do you think? Have you ever been to a specialty onigiri shop? If so, what did you order? Did you play it safe or go for something adventurous? I personally don’t think cream cheese and cod-roe is a crazy combination, but it might sound unusual to others.
