Buy a Bento Box and Toss Out the Brown Bag!

Many world trends and traditions have made their way to our "melting pot" here in the United States. One of the trends currently gathering steam is the idea of the "bento" lunchbox. The practice comes from Japan, where for years mothers have created tasty, healthy, and lovely lunches for their families, many appearing almost as a form of edible art! In its transition stateside, bento has become less about creating an edible masterpiece and more about making "brown-bagging" a little more fun. That isn't to say that the Americans transitioning to bento addiction don't put in the same effort; many American bento creators do also attempt to create delicious decorated dishes like the traditional bento artists for their own lunches. Most, however, are simply aiming to present something beyond the basic sandwich and baggie full of chips for lunch. Practicing bento makes bringing a lunch to work, school, or with you while you're out a little cheaper, a little more colorful, and a LOT more fun.

So the beginner's first question is probably, well, what IS bento, exactly? Typically, people will see a "bento box" on the menu at a sushi restaurant, offering rice, a protein such as beef teriyaki or maki sushi, a veggie, and a few pieces of fruit. While people don't use the large trays that make up a "bento box" as served in the restaurants for the average weekday lunch, traditional bento follows the same basic makeup, which is a 4-3-2-1 formula that dictates what traditional bento lunches should have: 4 parts rice, 3 parts protein, 2 parts vegetable, and 1 part "treat" (which can be fruit, sweets, and/or pickled vegetables), and are meant to not need refrigeration prior to eating.

In the transition of bento crossing the Pacific, it led to most new practitioners using the rules more as guidelines on this side of the world. Many American bento-ers will incorporate the 4 elements, but might go easy on the rice in favor of more protein, or replace the rice with potatoes or noodles, or might replace the veggies with fruit. If a person wants to follow the format but doesn't care for Asian-style food (which is usually what the traditional bento formula showcases), the formula still works nicely to incorporate the food of one's choice. Seeing as bento is more the exception and not the rule in the United States, most bento enthusiasts feel free to "bento" in the manner they see fit!

A person newly exposed to bento might wonder what all the fuss is about. Bento can make packing a lunch more interesting, and provides opportunity for more variety in your lunch. First off, bento lunch boxes come in a wide variety of sizes, volumes, and styles, ranging from small boxes covered with Disney™ characters to large rectangular black boxes called "Men's bento boxes" to beautiful and ornate traditional wooden bento lunch boxes. Adding to the fun are the multiple bento-sized accessories, such as little sauce cups, food picks, miniature shakers, plastic food dividers... the accessory options are seemingly endless! Whether the bento being built is meant for a kid or a child at heart, there are many enjoyable options for presenting the food to the consumer. Depending on the size of your lunch box, the food consumed will typically need to be diminutive in size to fit the box. While the food is small in size, this also allows for a lot more food to be packed in the box, as well as provides the opportunity to provide a variety of options of small bites to eat! The small food bites can also make picky eaters a little more willing to try foods they're not usually fans of, or can at least make the process of getting their veggies a little less painful. Bento's traditional formula, even if loosely followed, is a great way to get in a well-rounded meal (protein, carbs, vegetables); most fast food meals don't, or if they do, it's typically with a lot of hidden fat or grease! While the small portions may seem, well, SMALL, another rule of bento is that the food should maintain its original positions until lunch, also. In other words, to prevent the food from shifting in transit, bento-ers are encouraged (and expected) to fill in the gaps with edible gap fillers! It can be grapes, grape tomatoes, almonds, mini-cheeses, chocolate candy, whatever, but filling in the gaps maximizes the use of the bento box space and provides even more sustenance. Looks can be deceiving; bento boxes seem small, but the average two-tier, 600 ml box can hold a surprising amount of food, and one should also keep in mind that the average American restaurant meal is typically double the actual serving size recommended.

Are there any downsides to playing in the bento realm? Admittedly, yes, there are a few. Preparing bentos can be a laborious art, especially if aiming for the lovely artistic creations that are often seen in bento books; add in the fact that traditionally bentos are supposed to be made in the morning, and that is one early wake-up call all for a fun, pretty lunch. However, it doesn't need to be. In the Americanized version of bento, the "food art" is strictly optional (although very fun), and many websites offer helpful tips on how to speed up your bento through freezing food ahead of time. The bentos can also be prepared the night before, either partly or altogether, to make it more convenient during the morning run-around. Another issue is that bento boxes and accessories can be expensive in the United States, as the craze is catching on, but not fast enough to where it has mass-market appeal. Most bento enthusiasts rely heavily on internet shopping, or they drive to the nearest Japanese specialty markets in their urban areas to hunt for bento boxes and accessories, but so far it doesn't appear that the United States will have the plethora of shopping choices available to them as Japanese residents currently have. Due to this situation, American bento-ers find themselves paying more for their bentos due to price hikes from suppliers or simply by paying international shipping. Don't despair completely, though; many bento sales websites are popping up in the United States, and are providing reasonably priced bento options with decent shipping costs, and the Japanese dollar-store-esque chain Daiso has many United States locations along with many cheap bento items! Another thing to keep in mind with bento boxes is that the majority of the time the boxes and accessories aren't dishwasher-safe, which means they need to hand washed; most boxes are microwave-safe as long as their lids are removed, though, but check the packaging first to be sure! These issues are the only three that are most prominent, and most annoying to the average American pursuing bento, but they aren't insurmountable!

If considering pursuing bento to brighten up your lunch break, the first step is to look at bento web groups to get inspiration and ideas from fellow enthusiasts. Some great websites to look at are Cooking Cute, Lunch in a Box (which provides fantastic tutorials and ideas on "speed bento"), JustBento, Bento TV (video tutorials!), and the Flickr group Bento Boxes. Beginners might want to try bento lunches using plastic food containers and locally-available accessories first, and see how it works with their own daily routines before spending a lot of money ordering bento boxes and accessories from the web. Some brands to look into for food containers that are bento box-like (in that they offer multiple tiers, or are divided into sections for different foods) are Snapware, Fit & Fresh, and Lock & Lock... even taking a basic square or rectangle food container, and using food dividers to keep foods separate that you don't want touching will work. Accessories that are easy to come by are cocktail toothpicks (like the little swords or plastic sticks bartenders use for garnishes), silicon baking cups (which make great food holders), miniature plastic containers with lids, and miniature cookie cutters to create fun food shapes. Experiment, play around, try some of the speed bento tips if preparation time is a concern, as well as seeing if preparing your lunches at night makes it more convenient and appealing. Consider what foods appeal to you that might make good gap fillers, so all the box space is used; also consider a "sidecar" box, which are smaller, one-tier bento boxes that adult bento makers bring for a snack later in the day, or to fit parts of the lunch they couldn't fit in the original bento box.

If after a few weeks of playing with your food in the bento style makes you hunger for cooler-looking boxes and different accessories, take that as a sign that you are ready to purchase actual bento boxes and accessories. The most important thing a beginning bento creator needs to remember is that it is supposed to be fun - fun for you to eat, and fun for you to MAKE! If it's not fun for you, then there's no point in pursuing it; bento should only be practiced if it brings you a little brightness and happiness in your mid-day break.

Now go forth, make bentos, and have a happy lunch!