Onigiri at Home
Have you ever tried onigiri? Because of its portability and the fact that it can be eaten with one's hands, it has been a popular portable food and lunch in Japan from ancient times to the present. Originally developed as a way to preserve leftover rice and as a portable food, onigiri later became mainstream as a regular food.
As we introduced in the last blog post, we make them by hand every morning before our store opens. Our onigiri have so many fans of that some customers come back every single day to get them. There are many customers who have not been able to buy onigiri (almost daily) because they were sold out when they got to the store to buy them.
In this blog post, we will show you how to make onigiri. It is very easy to make them, and you will definitely want to try them at home. We will also introduce the items you can use to make onigiri, including the fillings and the onigiri molds that helps you to make them easier. Here we go!
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Onigiri Fillings
Spicy Tuna
You can make spicy tuna with canned tuna, mayonnaise, and sriracha sauce. The canned tuna is a healthful food rich in protein and contains many vitamins and minerals such as B-Complex vitamins, Vitamins A and D as well as iron, selenium and phosphorus. Tuna also contains healthy omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.
The tuna is soaked with water or oil inside the can, so you have to make sure to squeeze it as much as possible to get the liquid out. Then, you just put everything together and mix it. If you add more mayonnaise, it gets creamer. The more sriracha you put, the spicier it gets, so you have to be careful, unless you are really into spicy food. Spicy tuna can be eaten in sushi, over rice, salad, and more!
These are canned tuna and Japanese mayonnaise sold at Maido. We do not currently offer sriracha sauce.
If you do not put sriracha, it becomes tuna mayonnaise.
We offer Marumiya's Wafu Tuna Mayo Japanese-style Tuna Mayonnaise that can be used to your own tuna mayo onigiri easily. They combine the rich flavor of tuna cooked with savory Japanese dashi soup stock or soy sauce, mixed with creamy mayonnaise.
You can add masago smelt roe to add the unique texture to spicy tuna. At our restaurant, we use spicy masago to make our spicy tuna. We sell regular non-spicy masago at our store.
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Salmon
Do you like our grilled salmon or salmon mayonnaise onigiri? Grilling salmon can be a bit too much for you, so we have an amazing item for you - salmon in a jar.
It is sold frozen. It is cooked and flaked, so all you have to do is thaw them and scoop them out with chopsticks or a spoon and they are ready to use. For salmon mayonnaise, you simply need to add mayonnaise to grilled salmon.
Salmon is one of the most nutritious types of fish that offers several health benefits. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients, salmon is wonderful for hair and skin health.
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Tarako and Karashi Mentaiko
Tarako cod roe mayonnaise has been one of the most popular onigiri flavors at Maido. Did you know we sell frozen tarako and karashi mentaiko, the spicy version of tarako?
Tarako and mentaiko are tasty food that can be eaten raw or grilled, or arranged in your own way. The small roe develops a rich, thick, almost paste-like texture. They are high in protein but low in carbohydrates, so you can eat without worrying about calories.
We offer tarako and karashi mentaiko from Yamaya from Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka is actually famous for them.
Tarako and karashi mentaiko have a thin skin. To cleanly remove the contents from the skin, place them horizontally and cut a horizontal slit with a knife to open them. Then, hold the end and scrape the contents off from the skin with a spoon.
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Following the same concept as the Wafu Tuna Mayo introduced above, Marumiya’s Sake Mentai Salmon & Spicy Cod Roe is another amazing flavor combo. It fuses the rich, savory umami of salmon flakes with the intense, salty, and slightly fiery kick of spicy marinated mentaiko.
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Ume Pickled Plum
Ume pickled plums, also called umeboshi, are very traditional onigiri ingredients. They are a good source of polyphenols, which are thought to reduce the risk of diabetes, help lower blood pressure, prevent hardening of the arteries, and boost calcium absorption. They made their way to Japan via Central China about 1500 years ago. They were considered a health tonic. The warriors consumed them to revitalize their sore muscles and recover from battle fatigue.
There are people who remove the seeds of the umeboshi and who do not when making onigiri with them. At Maido, we make sure to remove all the seeds, so it is easier for you to eat, plus they would take up much space if you do not remove them.
We have a few types of umeboshi in stock. Introduced from left to right: low sodium shiso ume, king of ume, low sodium honey ume.
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Kombu Kelp Seaweed
Kombu kelp seaweed is a natural flavor enhancer with huge health benefits. It adds a savory umami taste to foods. Nutritionally, kombu contains iodine, which is important for thyroid function, iron, calcium, along with trace minerals. It also contains vitamins A & C. 3.5 oz./100 g of kombu contains fiber equivalent to two heads of lettuce.
Maruyanagi's maroyaka (mild) series sold at Maido is the best-selling kombu tsukudani in Japan, using the kombu from Hokkaido prefecture. Tsukudani is small seafood, meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin.
When making kombu rice balls, it would be better if you cut the kombu into smaller pieces. That way, you can scoop easier when putting in the onigiri, and eat easier later as well.
The Goma Sesame Kombu on the left has the aroma of freshly roasted sesame seeds and the Shiso Perilla Kombu on the right is simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce reduction infused with the refreshing, herbaceous flavor of shiso leaves. Maido's kombu onigiri are made with the sesame kombu type.
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How to Make Onigiri
Here, we will simply show you how to make Maido's rice balls. We use molds and special nori seaweed for onigiri which is wrapped in plastic to keep the nori fresh and crispy until you eat it, but of course you can make them without those items as well. Please take a look at it as a reference and get some ideas. Ingredients (2 onigiri): 8 oz. of cooked rice (hot/very warm) 0.5 tsp of salt 2 tsp of filling Nori seaweed (1/3 of the full size) Onigiri molds (optional)
This is a set of onigiri molds similar to what we use at our restaurant!
(*This item is not on our shelves yet, but it's coming soon!)
We offer the nori seaweeds wrapped in plastic, just like the one we use at Maido.
Directions: 1. Mix cooked rice with salt. Mix the rice in a chopping motion so you do not mash the rice. Make sure to use the hot/very warm rice, otherwise the rice gets separated.
2. Put half of the rice in the bottom half in the bottom mold and make holes in the middle to put the filling. It is easier if you use a spoon to make holes.
3. Put the filling in the holes you made in step 2. If you spread it too much, the rice might not stick well, and the onigiri can be separated into two pieces.
4. Put the rest of the rice on top.
5. Press the rice with the top mold. You do not have to press very hard.
6. Flip the bottom mold and push down the rice balls on the edge of the nori seaweed.
7. Fold the nori seaweed into half to cover both sides of onigiri.
8. Fold the top side of nori seaweed along the sides of onigiri. Put it under the rice on the bottom side.
9. Flip the whole thing and fold the nori seaweed again, but put it on top this time.
10. Put a sticker or tape to hold the wrapper. Make another one and it is ready.
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Tororo Kombu Onigiri
If you want to elevate your rice ball routine, it is time to try Tororo Kombu Onigiri! While traditional onigiri is wrapped in crispy nori, this beloved regional specialty from Toyama, Japan, uses a cloud-like blanket of fluffy shredded kelp instead. Wrapping your rice balls in this umami-rich coating creates a unique, melt-in-your-mouth texture that stays perfectly moist.
Directions:
Shape the Rice: Shape warm, cooked short-grain rice into triangles or cylinders, adding your favorite filling (like pickled plum or salted salmon) in the center.
Prep the Kelp: Spread a handful of Tororo Konbu onto a clean surface, gently pulling the ribbons apart so they are light and airy.
Roll and Coat: Place your rice ball onto the shredded kelp and gently roll it until completely blanketed. Press softly so you do not crush that beautiful, fluffy texture. Enjoy!
Tip:
The Totoro Kombu is a bit salty, so you should use less salt or no salt for the rice.
These are Tororo Kombu offered at Maido. They both are made of 100% Japanese kelp.
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There is a lot of food items, housewares, stationery, and gifts available at the store and our online store, Maido! Kairashi Shop, where you can place your order for shipping or store pickup! Happy shopping. :)
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