TOKYO, Apr 11 (News On Japan) –
As many individuals put together to journey by Shinkansen and different trains through the upcoming holidays, this text takes a take a look at a beloved companion of prepare journeys in Japan: the ekiben, or prepare station lunch field, which can be gaining recognition amongst international vacationers.
Reservations for Shinkansen and different trains through the Golden Week vacation, from April twenty fifth to May sixth, have reached about 2.85 million seats, roughly the identical degree as final yr. One of the nice pleasures of using these trains is having fun with an ekiben.
Incidentally, April tenth is taken into account “Ekiben Day” in Japan as a result of the numbers 4 and 10 may be learn as “bento.” Tokyo Station, the place as many as 10,000 ekiben are bought in a single day, held a bustling ekiben pageant as soon as once more.
One buyer mentioned, “I thought it was the season for bamboo shoots, so I chose a bamboo shoot rice bento. It was about 1,500 yen—slightly expensive, but a nice treat once in a while. This is one of my go-to choices.”
Among the preferred ekiben is the one produced by Kiyoken. To have fun Ekiben Day this yr, the corporate launched a particular rice ball bento. Reservations opened on April 1st, however your complete stock bought out in simply three days. The announcement sparked a flood of posts on social media.
Ekiben, considered a part of Japan’s wealthy culinary tradition, are actually being embraced by international guests too. With so many choices, many vacationers discover it tough to decide on.
“This one looks good—it has fish, meat, and lots of sushi options,” mentioned one vacationer. Another added, “I wish there were stores like this in Europe. My partner likes beef, so he chose a beef bento, and I went for the one with cherry blossom themes. In the U.S., we usually just snack on candy during train rides, so having a proper meal like this is new to me.”
Some vacationers questioned, “Is it okay to eat this on the Shinkansen?” and “Does it come with chopsticks?”
At Daimaru Tokyo, a division retailer adjoining to Tokyo Station, the annual bento gross sales rankings had been launched. In third place was a bento that includes a hamburger steak topped with beef on garlic rice. “It feels a bit fancy,” mentioned one buyer. “Whenever I go to Osaka, I usually buy something in this area. I like meat-based dishes.”
Second place went to a seafood chirashi bento by Hirashima, which options ten sorts of seafood. First place, for the fourth consecutive yr, was the Mille-Feuille Sushi, identified for its vibrant colours. “It’s the best-tasting ekiben at Tokyo Station,” mentioned one fan. “I came here just for this, and now I’m boarding the Shinkansen.”
Ekiben have a wealthy historical past. Their origins are believed so far again to 1885 at Utsunomiya Station, the place a neighborhood inn began promoting easy rice balls with pickled greens for 5 sen—a excessive value on the time when soba value only one sen. The first makunouchi (boxed meal with numerous aspect dishes) was bought in 1888 at Himeji, priced at 12 sen. By 1987, self-heating bento grew to become out there, and at this time, there are mentioned to be over 2,000 varieties nationwide.
Among the usual choices in conventional ekiben are what are referred to as the “three sacred side dishes”: kamaboko (fish cake), tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), and salmon. These are frequent components which have lengthy been acquainted to Japanese folks and are discovered in lots of long-selling bento.
Because ekiben are usually eaten chilly, nice care is taken to make sure they nonetheless style good at room temperature. The rice, for instance, is steamed at a excessive temperature to reinforce stickiness and taste. Seasoning can be rigorously thought of—scallops are generally added to pork to forestall disagreeable odors and deepen the style. Even the packaging performs a task: Kiyoken avoids utilizing plastic and as a substitute makes use of conventional picket packing containers that enhance air flow, take in moisture, and have antibacterial properties.
Interestingly, there are refined variations in packaging primarily based on the place the ekiben is produced. At Kiyoken, the bento made within the Yokohama manufacturing facility are tied with string, due to specialised employees there. In distinction, these made on the Tokyo manufacturing facility will not be. Another visible distinction lies within the illustration on the field: the Tokyo model contains the Tokyo Skytree within the background, whereas the Yokohama model doesn’t. This form of consideration to element provides a layer of playfulness that many purchasers discover pleasant.
As the ekiben continues to evolve, it stays a logo of Japanese hospitality and culinary ingenuity, providing each vacationers and vacationers a memorable style of the journey.
Source: TBS