Editing Onigiri

{{Short description|Japanese rice ball}}
{{for|the video game|Onigiri (video game)}}
{{Italic title}}

{{Infobox food
| name             = ''Onigiri''
| image            = 小料理バルさくら 特製おにぎり.jpg
| image_size       = 300px
| caption          = Onigiri wrapped in ''[[nori]]'', with ''[[takuan]]'' pickles
| alternate_name   =
| country          = [[Japan]]
| region           =
| national_cuisine = {{Plainlist|
* [[Japanese cuisine]]
}}
| creator          =
| year             =
| mintime          =
| maxtime          =
| type             = [[Rice ball]]s
| course           =
| served           =
| main_ingredient  =  [[Japonica rice]]
| minor_ingredient =
| variations       =
| serving_size     =
| calories         =
| protein          =
| fat              =
| carbohydrate     =
| glycemic_index   =
| similar_dish     = ''[[Arancini]]'', ''[[cifantuan]]'', ''[[jumeok-bap]]'', ''[[zongzi]]''
| other            = Unicode [[emoji]] 🍙
}}

{{nihongo|'''Onigiri'''|[[wikt:お握り|お握り]] or [[wikt:御握り|御握り]]}}, also known as {{nihongo|'''omusubi'''|お結び}} or {{nihongo|'''nigirimeshi'''|握り飯}}, is a [[Japanese cuisine|Japanese]] [[rice ball]] made from [[white rice]]. It is usually formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, and wrapped in ''[[nori]]'' (seaweed).{{Efn|The type of onigiri wrapped in ''[[nori]]'' is commonly called ''[[Norimaki]]-onigiri''.|name=|group=}} Onigiri traditionally have sour or salty fillings such as ''[[umeboshi]]'' (pickled [[Prunus mume|Chinese plum]]), salted [[salmon as food|salmon]], ''[[katsuobushi]]'' (smoked and fermented [[bonito]]), [[kombu]], ''tarako'' or ''mentaiko'' ([[pollock roe]]), or ''takanazuke'' (pickled [[brassica juncea|Japanese giant red mustard]] greens). Because it is easily portable and eaten by hand, onigiri has been used as portable food or [[bento]] from ancient times to the present day. Originally, it was used as a way to use and store left-over rice, but it later became a regular meal. Many Japanese [[convenience store]]s and supermarkets stock onigiri with various fillings and flavors. It has become so mainstream that it is even served in [[izakaya]]s and sit-down restaurants. There are even specialized shops which only sell onigiri to [[Take-out|take out]]. Due to the popularity of this trend in Japan, onigiri has become a popular staple in Japanese restaurants worldwide.

Onigiri is not a form of [[sushi]] and should not be confused with the type of sushi called ''[[nigirizushi]]'' or simply ''nigiri''. Onigiri is made with plain rice (sometimes lightly salted), while sushi is made of rice with [[vinegar]], sugar and salt.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8clwyPUpULQC&q=%22sushi+vinegar%22&pg=PA162|page=162|title=Kaiseki: the exquisite cuisine of Kyoto's Kikunoi Restaurant|first1=Yoshihiro|last1=Murata|first2=Masashi|last2=Kuma|first3=Ferran|last3=Adrià|publisher=Kodansha International|year=2006|isbn=4-7700-3022-3|access-date=2020-10-16|archive-date=2023-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124183924/https://books.google.com/books?id=8clwyPUpULQC&q=%22sushi+vinegar%22&pg=PA162|url-status=live}}</ref> Onigiri makes rice portable and easy to eat as well as preserving it, while sushi originated as a way of preserving [[Fish (food)|fish]].

==History==
[[File:NDL-DC 1309950-Utagawa Hiroshige-東海道五十三次細見図会 藤沢-crd.jpg|thumb|Pilgrims eating onigiri, print by [[Utagawa Hiroshige|Hiroshige]], 1845]]
[[File:Onigiri 002.jpg|thumb|Onigiri wrapped in ''[[nori]]'']]

=== Prehistoric ===
On November 12, 1987,<ref name=":0">[http://www.ishikawa-maibun.jp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/iseki_26.pdf “平成18年度発掘速報会「よみがえる石川の遺跡」- 『いしかわの遺跡 No.26』”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326040909/https://www.ishikawa-maibun.jp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/iseki_26.pdf |date=2023-03-26 }} . ''公式ウェブサイト''. 石川県埋蔵文化財センター. p. 7 (2007年3月30日). 2020年4月21日閲覧。</ref> lumps of carbonized grains of rice, thought to be riceballs, were excavated from a building belonging to the [[Yayoi period]] (2000 years ago) in the Sugitani Chanobatake Ruins in [[Ishikawa Prefecture]]. The carbonized rice had traces which revealed that it was formed by human hands, thus it was initially documented as "the oldest onigiri."<ref name=":0" /><ref>[https://www.town.nakanoto.ishikawa.jp/material/files/group/4/onigiri.pdf “物語10 日本最古のおにぎりが出土 杉谷チャノバタケ遺跡 - 中能登百物語（おにぎりの歴史）”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326040908/https://www.town.nakanoto.ishikawa.jp/material/files/group/4/onigiri.pdf |date=2023-03-26 }} . ''公式ウェブサイト''. 中能登町. 2020年4月21日閲覧。</ref> In subsequent research, it was thought to be steamed and grilled, rather than boiled like today's rice, similar to another dish called ''[[Zongzi|chimaki]]''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>「[https://web.archive.org/web/20080916143729/http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/ishikawa/toku/genba/CK2008090602000236.html 『おにぎりの里』再び 町おこしの熱意 合併後も消えず]」『中日新聞』中日新聞社、2008年9月6日。2008年9月16日閲覧。オリジナルの2018年3月13日時点におけるアーカイブ。</ref> Since then, it has been academically called the "chimaki-shaped carbonized rice lumps (チマキ状炭化米塊)".

In Nakanoto, there is a replica of the relic on display at the roadside station Orihime-no-sato Nakanoto.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=杉谷チャノバタケ遺跡 |url=http://noto-satoyamasatoumi.jp/detail.php?tp_no=371 |accessdate=2020-04-21 |publisher=「能登の里山里海」世界農業遺産活用実行委員会 |archive-date=2020-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928183630/http://noto-satoyamasatoumi.jp/detail.php?tp_no=371 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Pre-modern ===
[[File:Onigiri lunch by k14 in Niigata.jpg|thumb|Onigiri as part of a meal]]
Before the use of [[chopsticks]] became widespread, in the [[Nara period]], rice was often rolled into a small ball so that it could be easily picked up. In the [[Heian period]], rice was made into small rectangular shapes known as ''[[wikt:屯食|tonjiki]]'' so that they could be piled onto a plate and easily eaten. At that time, onigiri were called ''tonjiki'' and often consumed at outdoor picnic lunches.<ref>''A Taste of Japan'', Donald Richie, [[Kodansha]], 2001, {{ISBN|4-7700-1707-3}}</ref>

The first incarnation of the word ''onigiri'' is attested in the ''[[:ja:常陸国風土記|Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki]]'' (''[[Hitachi Province]] Gazette''), dated to 721 AD. In it, the word used is ''nigiri-ihi'' (握飯) or "crumpled rice":<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Yoshikai |first=Naoto |date=23 Oct 2018 |title=「おにぎり」と「おむすび」の違い |url=https://www.dwc.doshisha.ac.jp/research/faculty_column/2018-10-23-09-00 |access-date=20 Apr 2020 |publisher=[[Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts]] |language=ja |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525112646/https://www.dwc.doshisha.ac.jp/research/faculty_column/2018-10-23-09-00 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
![[Kanbun]]-notated text
|〈風俗說云<sub>二</sub>握飯筑波之國<sub>一</sub>。〉<ref>{{Cite journal|author=川副由理子|date=2013-02-26|title=『常陸国風土記』行方郡に見える建借間命の国見記事について|url=https://hdl.handle.net/2065/39272|journal=早稲田大学大学院文学研究科紀要. 第3分冊, 日本語日本文学 演劇映像学 美術史学 表象・メディア論 現代文芸|publisher=早稲田大学大学院文学研究科|volume=58|issue=|pages=85|hdl=2065/39272|issn=1341-7533|access-date=2023-07-22|archive-date=2024-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620135128/https://waseda.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/1604|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
![[Old Japanese]]
|〈{{ruby|握飯|にぎりいひ}} {{ruby|筑波の国|つくはのくに}}、{{ruby|風俗|くにぶり}}の{{ruby|説|ことば}}に{{ruby|云|い}}ふ。〉
''Nigiri-ihi Tsukuba no kuni, kuniburi no kotoba-ni ifu.''

("In the Tsukuba{{Efn|"Tsukuba" here refers to [[Tsukuba District, Ibaraki|Tsukuba District]] south of [[Hitachi Province]].}} dialect, it is known as nigiri-ihi.")
|}
In [[Murasaki Shikibu]]'s 11th-century diary ''[[The Diary of Lady Murasaki|Murasaki Shikibu Nikki]]'', she writes of people eating ''tonjiki'' rice balls.<ref>{{cite book
  | last = Ikeda
  | first = Kikan
  |author2=Shinji Kishigami |author3=Ken Akiyama
   | title = Koten Bungaku Taikei 19: Makura no Sōshi, Murasaki Shikibu Nikki
  | publisher = [[Iwanami Shoten Publishing|Iwanami Shoten]]
  | year = 1958
  | page= 455
  | location = Tōkyō
  | isbn = 4-00-060019-2
  }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
  | last = Hasegawa
  | first = Masaharu
  |author2=Yūichirō Imanishi
  | title = Shin Koten Bungaku Taikei 24: Tosa Nikki, Kagerō Nikki, Murasaki Shikibu Nikki, Sarashina Nikki
  | publisher = [[Iwanami Shoten Publishing|Iwanami Shoten]]
  | year = 1989
  | page = 266
  | location = Tōkyō
  | isbn = 4-00-240024-7
  }}</ref> Other writings, dating back as far as the seventeenth century, state that many [[samurai]] stored [[rice]] balls wrapped in [[bamboo]] sheath as a quick lunchtime meal during war.

From the [[Kamakura period]] to the early [[Edo period]], onigiri was used as a quick meal. This made sense as cooks simply had to think about making enough onigiri and did not have to concern themselves with serving. These onigiri were simply balls of rice flavored with [[salt]]. [[Nori]] did not become widely available until the [[Genroku|Genroku era]] (1688–1704) of the mid-Edo period, when the farming of nori and fashioning it into sheets became widespread.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

=== Modern ===
[[File:Rice balls of Seven-Eleven.jpg|thumb|Onigiri sold at a Japanese [[7-Eleven]]]]
In the 1980s, a machine to make triangular onigiri was invented. Rather than rolling the filling inside, the flavoring was put into a hole in the onigiri and the hole was hidden by nori. Since the onigiri made by this machine came with nori already applied to the rice ball, over time the nori became moist and sticky, clinging to the rice.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

A packaging improvement allowed the nori to be stored separately from the rice. Before eating, the diner could open the packet of nori and wrap the onigiri. The use of a hole for filling the onigiri made new flavors of onigiri easier to produce as this cooking process did not require changes from ingredient to ingredient. Modern mechanically wrapped onigiri are specially folded so that the plastic wrapping is between the nori and rice to act as a moisture barrier. When the packaging is pulled open at both ends, the nori and rice come into contact and are eaten together. This packaging is commonly found for both triangular onigiri and rolls (細巻き).{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

==Rice and shapes ==
[[File:Onigiri (34885719823).jpg|thumb|''Shio-musubi'', or plain rice balls made only with salt]]
Usually, onigiri is made with [[steamed rice|boiled white rice]], though it is sometimes made with different varieties of cooked rice, such as:

* ''[[Okowa]]'' or ''kowa-meshi'': glutinous rice cooked or steamed with vegetables 
* ''[[Sekihan]]'': rice cooked with red [[azuki bean]]s
* ''Maze-gohan'': rice cooked with various preferred ingredients
* [[Fried rice]]
* [[Brown rice]]

The rice may be seasoned with salt, [[sesame]], ''[[furikake]]'', dried [[shiso]] flakes, and so on. Onigiri are typically triangular, but can come in many shapes, including round, cylindrical, rectangular, etc.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

==Fillings==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2025}} 
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Onigiri in Kyoto for sale March 16 2020 01-54PM.jpeg
| total_width= 450
| caption1 = 
| image2 = ラップおにぎり 各種 (35450259103).jpg
| caption2 = 
| footer = Stores selling onigiri of various flavors and fillings
}}

[[Umeboshi]], [[katsuobushi|okaka]], or [[tsukudani]] have long been frequently used as fillings for onigiri. Generally, onigiri made with pre-seasoned rice is not filled with ingredients. Plain (salt only) onigiri is called ''shio-musubi''.

Typical fillings are listed below:
* Dressed dishes: tuna with mayonnaise (シーチキン), shrimp with mayonnaise, [[negitoro]] (ネギトロ), etc.
* Dried fish: roasted and crumbled [[Mackerel as food|mackerel]] (鯖), [[Japanese horse mackerel]] (鰺), etc.
* [[Drying (food)|Dried food]]: [[katsuobushi]], etc.
* [[Roe|Fish roe]]: [[mentaiko]] (明太子), [[Pollock roe|tarako]] (たらこ), [[tobiko]] (とびこ), etc.
* [[Shiokara]]: [[Squid as food|squid]], [[Shutō (seafood)|shuto]], etc.
* Meats: [[kakuni]], [[dongpo pork]], [[char siu]]
* [[Tsukudani]]: [[nori]], [[Hypoptychus dybowskii]] (小女子), [[Venerupis philippinarum]] (浅蜊), etc.
* [[Pickling|Pickled]] fruits and vegetables: [[umeboshi]], [[brassica juncea|takana]], [[nozawana]], etc.
* [[Tenkasu]]: deep fried bits of batter

==Variants==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2025}}

=== Yaki-onigiri ===
[[File:Yaki-Onigiri 001.jpg|thumb|''Yaki-onigiri'', grilled until sides are brown]]
''Yaki-onigiri'' (焼きおにぎり "grilled onigiri") are first shaped by compacting white rice, then grilling it until brown, then coating with [[soy sauce]] or [[miso]], and finally broiling it. Yaki-onigiri is also sold commercially as frozen food.

''Miso-onigiri'' ({{nihongo2|味噌おにぎり}}) is mainly in eastern Japan. [[Miso]] is used as fillings, sometimes mixed with [[Scallion|green onion]], or spread over and roasted as a variant of yaki-onigiri.

=== Age-onigiri ===
''Age-onigiri'' (揚げおにぎり "fried onigiri") are first shaped by compacting white rice, then frying it in a frying pan or wok using cooking oil until it is golden brown. Because of the oil, the flavor is richer than yaki-onigiri. If eating it as is, it can be seasoned with soy sauce, miso, or salt.

To eat it in a soup, first place it in a bowl. Add condiments such as chives, ''[[Lotus japonicus|miyakogusa]]'', [[wasabi]], grated ginger, [[nori]], [[umeboshi]] plum, and pour hot Japanese-style soup stock. Eat while breaking up the onigiri that have absorbed the soup stock.

There are several variations of the age-onigiri. For example, there is a version where the rice being fried has Japanese flavoring, such as ''[[takikomi gohan]]''. There is also a Western style variation where melted cheese is used as the filling, the rice is deep-fried with western ingredients such as ketchup and curry, and the onigiri is topped with a western-style soup.

=== Bakudan-onigiri ===
{{multiple image
| perrow            = 1
| align             = right
| image1            = Bakudan onigiri by yomi955.jpg
| total_width       = 230
| caption1          = 
| image2            = Bakudan onigiri sectional by yomi955.jpg
| caption2          = 
| footer            = ''Bakudan-onigiri'' are round, extra large onigiri fully wrapped in [[nori]]
}}

''Bakudan-onigiri'' (爆弾おにぎり "bomb-shaped onigiri") are large, spherical rice balls wrapped entirely in ''[[nori]]'', so that no rice is exposed. Like other onigiri, they are usually filled with dried fish and ''[[umeboshi]]'' plums. Bakudan-onigiri are known to be simple to make and easy to hold without getting the hands sticky.

=== Pork tamago-onigiri ===
Pork ''tamago-onigiri'' (ポーク玉子おにぎり "pork egg onigiri") or ''onipō'' (おにポー) for short, is a variation from [[Okinawa Prefecture]] which combines rice, seaweed, pork, and eggs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://r.gnavi.co.jp/prt/okinawa/column/0910/ |author= |title=ポーク卵おにぎり |trans-title=Pork-tamago-onigiri |website=Gurunavi |language=ja |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016000627/http://r.gnavi.co.jp/prt/okinawa/column/0910/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is similar to ''onigirazu'' (rice and [[lunch meat]] in sandwich form).

=== Other ===
* ''[[Tenmusu]]'' ({{nihongo2|天むす}}): rice balls containing fried [[tempura]]. Originally from [[Tsu, Mie]], and is well known in [[Nagoya cuisine]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Inada |first=S. |title=Simply Onigiri: fun and creative recipes for Japanese rice balls |publisher=Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited |year=2011 |isbn=978-981-4484-95-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GSHgAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA86 |page=86 |access-date=March 18, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Yuka Kaneki |title=三重あるある (Mie aru aru) |year=2014 |publisher=TO books |isbn=978-4864723008 }}</ref>
* ''Samgak-gimbap'' ({{lang|ko|삼각김밥}}) — Literally "triangle [[gimbap]]". It originates from Japanese onigiri and is sold in convenience stores in South Korea.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Choi|first=Hyun-joo|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3033497|title=Republic of convenience stores|date=18 May 2017|work=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]]|access-date=19 May 2017|archive-date=19 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519120738/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3033497|url-status=live}}</ref> Fillings vary greatly; the expiration date is one day; it typically provides between {{convert|140|and|200|kcal|kJ|order=flip|round=50}} of food energy.

== Trivia ==
* Onigiri has its own [[Unicode]] [[emoji]]: 🍙 (U+1F359)

== See also ==

{{Portal|Food|Japan}}

* [[Arancini]]{{snds}}an Italian dish of fried, breadcrumb-coated rice balls, with various fillings
* [[Cifantuan]]{{snds}}Shanghainese rice balls, commonly eaten for breakfast
* [[Jumeokbap]]{{snds}}a Korean dish of Japanese onigiri-styled rice balls, with various fillings
* [[Lemper]]{{snds}}an Indonesian glutinous rice dish served with ''abon'' fillings wrapped in banana leaves
* [[Zongzi]]{{snds}}a Chinese glutinous rice dish served with various fillings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Japanese food and drink|state=autocollapse}}
{{Rice dishes}}

[[Category:Glutinous rice dishes]]
[[Category:Japanese rice dishes]]