Onigiri

[Yarnchu]

With an upcoming food project in Japanese, I decided to try making the one food besides sushi everyone knows about: rice balls. I made some during the past hour or so, more specifically toasted onigiri. I used tuna as my filling and slightly brushed them with soy sauce. The first turned out perfect, but the second...not so much. My big problem with them is that the rice is bland. If I bit into the filling, I tasted salty tuna. Dip it in soy sauce, I taste soy sauce.

Anyways, onto to the point of this topic. What are your thoughts on onigiri? Delicious? Okay? Despise them? Know any ways to make them taste better? Ideas to keep the level of messy rice everywhere to a minimum?

If you are curious as to where to get the rice, Walmart carries it.(though I know a lot of you hate the place) Any store that sells Asian foods will also definately have it. This site and the related sections contain a lot of tips and stuff for onigiri.

 

[Dannichu]

I've only ever had rice balls with plain rice, which were pretty bland, and with seaweed, which I don't like at all. I'd try different flavours, but there isn't a big market for Japanese food here, so I wouldn't have a clue where to look.

 

[Keta]

But even plain rice has flavor! o3o; (it's hard to tell, but I've eaten rice forever so I really like it) I've only ever had onigiri a few times ever, while I was in Asia- as "lunch" or more something to fill my stomach for the moment.

Don't they usually have ume (pickled plum) in the middle?

 

[ultraviolet]

Can't say I've ever had a rice ball, but I do enjoy some sushi (seriously, you can't walk 50m in perth without finding a sushi shop).

 

[Crazy Linoone]

Yum, yum, yum~

Rice balls are delicious. You might want to make special-flavored rice though, like the kind used for sushi (I think you're supposed to add some vinegar and sugar to it or something), so it won't be so bland. Also, no soy sauce. One of my pet peeves is people putting soy sauce in rice. Alright, it's delicious in some cases, but others, not so good.

So, um, about the rice again. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to use long rice (not sure what it's really called. Just the rice with the longer grains) for it, because it's not as sticky as normal rice. Also, you're supposed to cook it with a bit if vinegar and sugar to give it flavor and make it not as bland.

I know for a fact that 7-11 shops sell awesomely delicious onigiri in Taiwan, but I'm not sure about anywhere else. If you have any 7-11 shops around where you live, you can go check it out or something.

 

[Yarnchu]

Actually, it is supposed to be short grained rice, because of the stickiness. The ball won't keep its shape as well if you don't use it. I just followed the instructions on the container and this website. I'll try the vinegar next time.

 

[spaekle]

I know for a fact that 7-11 shops sell awesomely delicious onigiri in Taiwan, but I'm not sure about anywhere else. If you have any 7-11 shops around where you live, you can go check it out or something.

Nah, in the US they just sell crappy hot dogs and coffee and stuff. :(

I've never had them, but they're on my list of things to try. What exactly does pickled plum taste like?

 

[Yarnchu]

^And those tasty doughnuts. I never had pickled plum, so I can't really say.

 

[Valerunner]

I always believed that onigiri was wrapped heaven.

I add sweet & sour sauce to it and sometimes drown it in beef sauce. Yum.

Also, a tip; if you want exquisite flavor, drown the rice in sauces with about the viscosity of gravy. This makes even basmati rice(rice for Indian/Thai foods) sticky. You can use any other sauce, but thick sauce is recommended for basmati rice. Add something like meat/vegetable bits inside the onigiri. Preferably quite a fair bit of...bits.

Try this mix: add soy sauce or even those used from oriental-style beef steak(soy sauce with a hint of beef and onion) to the rice, and get diced beef all around the rice ball.

Do it with any sauce and most solid foods. Don't try it with potatoes; they taste shite when done.

 

[Tailsy]

Sticky rice sounds gross!

 

[Valerunner]

Sticky rice sounds gross!

It isn't, trust me.

It's like a whole oriental lunch packed into bite-sized chunks.

 

[Ivy Newton]

I had the best rice ball ever at a gas station in Japan.

Yes, a gas station. Makes no sense, but they have THE BEST rice balls.

Dunno what was in it though.

 

[ultraviolet]

Sticky rice sounds gross!

...it tastes like ordinary rice... only chunky!

 

[Crazy Linoone]

Nah, in the US they just sell crappy hot dogs and coffee and stuff. :(

I've never had them, but they're on my list of things to try. What exactly does pickled plum taste like?

Ah, never been to one, so I guess that option's out...

If I remember correctly (and what I ate was not something else), pickled plum is just this really sour, wrinkly ball-shaped thing that's slightly bitter and sweet at the same time. It's actually pretty good, if you like sour stuff.

I had the best rice ball ever at a gas station in Japan.

It's strange how the best food always comes from the most unnoticeable places... Like the awesome riceballs at the 7-11 in Taiwan. Ahh....

 

[Tailsy]

...it tastes like ordinary rice... only chunky!

And sticky!! Doesn't it stick to your fingers and asjhsfg'dx'mk;

Besides ordinary rice is... boring. D: I fry mine.

 

[shiny jiggly]

Tada! I made rice balls for the first time!

I put some pepper jack cheese in the middle and it was delicious. That brownish thing is the remains of a donut that my brother got me while we were at Safeway to get the supplies.
The short grain rice and the nori stuff was a little pricier than I thought it would be but I had enough money to buy it. If it wasn't so expensive, I probably would have also bought a box of Pocky.

 

[Yarnchu]

I didn't use nori, because the thought of eating seaweed isn't pleasing. They look like my second rice ball, because my first actually turned out great.(save for said blandness)

So...how much viniger should I add to the water when cooking the rice? I'm going to make one later today to see if it tastes any better.

 

[ultraviolet]

And sticky!! Doesn't it stick to your fingers and asjhsfg'dx'mk;

Not... really. Sticky rice pretty much sticks to itself. It's not sticky in the same way as uh... honey is or something.
Even then it's rice and it's not exactly hard to get off so