KYARABEN:A COLOURFUL JAPANESE BENTO BOX
What is a bento?
The bento, which means ‘packed meal’, dates back to the 12th or 13th century in Japan. A bento typically consists of rice with fish or meat and vegetables. Traditionally it was served in a lacquered wooden box. Like many Japanese meals, there is no single main dish–rather, it’s an assembly of elements arranged beautifully and packed tightly in a bento box.
The bento is popular on day trips, at school sporting events and for lunch at work. Japanese children often enjoy kyaraben (literally, ‘character bento’), which is a bento that’s decorated with cute animals or popular characters from anime, manga or video games.
CHICKEN KARAAGE
Serves 4 as a side dish
