Bentos: New trend came from Japan!

Bento, what is it?
Bentos, this is the equivalent of our plastic boxes: a boxed lunch at the office, at school..., but much more refined!
The "bento" is both the contents and the container. Composed of several food arranged in a sealed box, pretty, with several compartments inside.
The bento boxes are typically Japanese, It lets you take a full meal, balanced, varied, fast and inexpensive in a small space.

Is it suitable for people to follow a special diet?
Bento is a good way, even the only to be sure to follow perfectly a diet program and therefore lose weight.
The simple fact that the box is compact is an integral part of daily portions control and facilitate weight loss. More than just a box to carry his lunch, Bento is a way of life.

What can you put in it?
A Japanese bento consists mostly of cooked rice ("gohan"). If you are not a fan of rice or just to vary, put in your bento any cereal (pasta, semolina, lentils ...). From there, vary infinitely. Most of the time a bento comprises: raw food, marinated food, a boiled and fried.

You do not have to prepare exclusively Japanese bentos. Do with what you have on hand and especially with what you like. And respect this golden rule: never mix liquid food (soup, sauce) and solid food (chicken, boiled egg ...).

Equipment you need
Bento
There are several kinds of bentos: traditional are in lacquered wood, but they are also in synthetic resin, plastic, bamboo, There are also thermos bentos.

Accessories
Chopsticks, onigiri molds, molds boiled eggs, bottles for sauces, isothermal bag...

Ideally, a bento should be colorful. There are figurative bentos, represent character from manga, plants or animals.
Recently, people are more likely to prepare their own bento to go to school or work. It is more economical in these times of crisis and it is also better for health.

Bento ready to eat are available in supermarkets and superettes open round the clock throughout Japan. There is also ekiben ("bento station") sold in train stations and soraben ("bento sky") sold in airports.

ekiben

soraben

Books to devour
This book contains 150 especially created recipes, and instructive and attractive photos and diagrams and tips...The recipes are practical enough for everyday use, with ingredients that won't leave you lost at the supermarket, even explaining how to properly lay ingredients into single or two-tier boxes.
Brief, we love this book: beautiful photos, beautiful designs, delicious recipes ... We're hungry!