Читать книгу Everyday Bento - Wendy Copley - Страница 6

Introduction

“Bento” is the Japanese word for meals that are packed into boxes and eaten on the go. If you were to expand that definition a little, they are also well-balanced with a blend of flavors, textures, and colors.

Although bento meals have long been a staple of Japanese culture, they are a fairly recent export to the United States. The last few years has seen an increase in the popularity of bento lunches here in America for a variety of reasons. The cheerful presentations and variety of healthy foods incorporated into bentos appeal to parents attempting to entice picky kids to eat a balanced diet, while adults are drawn to this style of lunches for themselves because they are economically and environmentally friendly.

Many people like the idea of packing bento lunches, but they assume they’re complex and time consuming to put together. In actuality, packing an attractive bento box doesn’t require a lot of time or specialized skills. Armed with the right tools and some basic techniques anyone can make beautiful bento meals that are a delicious everyday treat.

Traditional bento box lunches often feature foods that are popular in Japan. The ingredients for these dishes can be difficult to find and sometimes they’re so rare in the States that many people have never even heard of them. While the lunches in this book use some Japanese packing techniques, they are based around ingredients that are common in the American diet and — even more importantly — these ingredients are readily available in large chain grocery stores.

I’ve filled this book with simple techniques anyone can master to make bento box lunches for themselves and their families. My hope is that in addition to using the detailed instructions provided to recreate the projects presented here, readers will take the techniques they learn while making these lunches and combine them in new ways to make unique meals of their own design. These versatile techniques can be used in endless combinations to make lunch packing — and eating — more creative and fun.