Learn how to make Japanese Onigiri, a traditional rice ball filled with a typical ‘Umeboshi’ stuffing.

Tomok, a freelance fusion chef lives in Tokyo, Japan. She’s lived all over France and speaks English and French, and loves introducing new people to Japanese cuisine and culture.

Here she shares her recipe for Onigiri, Japanese comfort food that’s traditionally shaped like a triangle or cylinder, and is filled with, in this case, salted pickled plum called Umeboshi. 

For 1 Onigiri rice ball

Ingredients

60-65g cooked Japanese rice

Approximately ¼ sheet seaweed (nori)

A pinch of salt

Umeboshi (Japanese salted pickled plum)

Dried shiso (perilla leaf)

Sesame seeds

Method

Set out all of the ingredients, and let the steamed rice cool slightly. 

Wet your hands with a little bit of water so that the rice doesn’t stick. Sprinkle some salt on both of your hands and then rub your hands together to spread it around.

Place the rice in the palm of your hand. Put your favorite filling on the rice and gently push it into the rice.

Hold the rice between your palms, and shape it into a triangle by pressingly lightly with both of your hands. You don’t want to squeeze the rice too tight. 

Finally, wrap the rice ball with a strip or two of nori and decorate with shiso and sesame seeds.

ITADAKIMASU! 🙂

Next time you’re in Tokyo, be sure to check out Tomok’s top-rated Eatwith cooking classes. You can learn how to cook Washoku Japanese food, or become a traditional Bento expert

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