March 2010

All the content on this site by month.

Where to buy bento boxes and accessories in Japan

Bento supply display shelf in local Japanese supermarket

So you are planning a trip to Japan. You want to stock up on bento boxes and accessories. Where should you go? There are stores to cater to many needs and budgets.

Note that this guide is biased towards the Tokyo metropolitan area, but the general principles apply to other areas of the country.

Bento tidbits from Japan: Ready-made bento foods from the supermarket

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So, you think that Japanese moms (and wives) prepare homemade bentos completely from scratch? Think again...

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I'm very excited to to announce the Spring 2010 Bento Contest, together with top French bento site FrenchBento and the awesome online bento boutique Bento&co! Read on for details...

Budo Mame or Budoh Mame: Sweet-salty soy beans (Bento filler)

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There are many recipes for stewed or simmered beans in Japanese cooking, but this is one of the simplest, and I'm fairly sure, one of the oldest recipes in existence. It traditionally only uses three ingredients -- soy beans, sugar and soy sauce -- but I've added a little salt too since I like the saltiness to be a bit more assertive to balance the sweetness. The beans have a unique, chewy texture that is unlike any other bean dish I've ever had. The soy beans become almost caramelized, yet are not cloyingly sweet.

The name budo mame means 'grape beans'. I'm not totally sure what it means, but it probably means that the beans take on a shiny appearance rather like grapes. They do indeed look like black grapes when made with black soy beans (kuromame), but here I've made them with regular white or light brown soy beans, which are a lot easier to get for most people.

Just a spoonful or so tucked into the corner of your bento box makes a nice change of pace, even a mini-dessert of sorts. And of course, it's packed with protein.