“Bento Lunch Box Cooking Event “ for the international students. 

2014-03-05 | with CIEE

Bento is a portable meal packed in a container called  “Bento Bako”

We believe the Japanese bento culture and technique will improve your “eating habits” keep

Healthy, save your money and make your lunchtime more fun !!

                  

At the beginning, the staff of our group just showed them how to make “Dashi” broth that is indispensable for “Washoku”.  Students had the first experience to try making dashi from konbu(kelp) and kezuribushi(shaved dry bonito flakes) by their own.

                                

 Students had the first experience to try making dashi from konbu(kelp) and kezuribushi(shaved dry bonito flakes) by their own.

After we got dashi we moved on to the next step, “Chikuzen-ni” (Chicken and vegetables with Chikuzen style), the very popular Healthy Simmered dish.

                                                        

Very rare stuff for the students, are the variations of vegetables like “Gobo”(burdock), “Hasu”,(lotus root) “Takenoko”(bamboo shoot)as well “Konnyku” called devil’s tongue.

The students also learned the unique technique of Japanese cooking, e.g.★

                    

 ★ scrape off the skin of gobo with the bak of a knife

         

★  tear konnyaku apart into small    pieces  with your                                         hands                           

 All the ingredients of Chikuzen-ni were simmered and let it flavovored of dashi, seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. That’s “Nimono” (simmered dish) !! One of the typical “Washoku” dishes.

 Then Dashimaki tamago (Japanese style rolled omelet) a slightly sweet and tender omelet. We added Dashi as well other seasonings into eggs.

It requires high level skill to make the rolled omelet beautiful. 

                      

 Besides these dishes, the students cooked “Ingen no Goma-ae”(Green beans with sesame dressing)

And “Yaki shake”(Grilled slightly salted salmon fillet) and  Tako Vienna sausage (Octopus sausage)

                              

 

Now just pack them in the bento box !!

                             

    The students packed them by their own style and sense.

                                          

Tips: If you are always busy and you want to make the bento quickly, use leftovers and a frozen pre-cooked meals.