A Minor Onigiri Project

First onigiri for 2014. Comforting cured, grilled salmon.

The Southernmost Onigiri?

Today I tried (for the second time) the Crab Onigiri from Hikari - one of the better Japanese restaurants offering sushi in Dunedin (the New Zealand version). The sign offering a job in katakana also offered hope, given the pretty awful stuff being passed off as Japanese food in most other places.

The crab onigiri was pretty good - it consisted of leg meat and a bit too much mayonnaise. NZ$3.50

This one was actually wrapped in an onigiri wrapper and would actually be familiar to someone from Japan or someone like me who lived in Japan. I only add this because of the grapefruit-sized monstrosities being sold as onigiri in a few other places in Dunedin claiming to sell Japanese food.

Homemade Okaka Onigiri

I'm thinking about opening a new era in this long-neglected onigiri blog. Due to the very few options here in Melbourne for buying onigiri - I made my own. I had the ingredients at home so I chose to make 'okaka' onigiri - the filling is made from katsuobushi seasoned with soy sauce - a popular style in Japan. The taste was good, although it highlighted the need for a small amount of salt to be sprinkled on the final product.

I bought the bowl in the photo from a gallery in Osaka - it was made in Hiroshima! 

Hopefully in the future I'll make more - with different fillings. Salted salmon is next I think.

Enjoy.

D.

I also found this link to an onigiri map of Japan - fun!

Cod-Roe and Butter Onigiri

This cod-roe and butter onigiri was ok, but it would've been better heated. 158 yen.

100% Walleye Cod eggs with, butter and soy sauce together in a Hokkaido-style texture (paraphrased from Family Mart)

Roasted Seaweed Laver Onigiri

A roasted laver onigiri. Sweet and moist. Kind of tasty. Laver is an algae often considered a seaweed.

According to Family Mart: Roasted seaweed laver processed to produce Ariake 仕立Temashita finished with  boiled ingredients while keeping the texture of the seaweed. (baffling)

Whole Egg Yolk Innovation Mortar

This onigiri had sweetish minced chicken with a perfectly poached egg. Sweet, creamy and delicious. How do they do it? The online translater generated this classic from the Family Mart website

"The rice balls are filled with whole egg yolk Innovation mortar. Minced chicken seasoned with sweet and fit to let a good egg and compatibility."

148 yen from Family Mart

Five Classic Flavours

Five open-style onigiri. Mentaiko, Sea-chicken (canned tuna), Prawn and mayo, Ikura (salmon roe) and Seaweed. Classics! 298 yen from Family Mart.

Baked Salmon with Yuzu Pepper

  

An incredibly tasty onigri with a couple of pieces of baked salmon flavoured with a yuzu flavoured miso paste. Amazing but a little steep at 168 yen.