Traditional Japanese food gets a hybrid makeover.

For years, an “onigiri” was an “onigiri”,  in the sense that it looked pretty much the same wherever you went in Japan. However, in recent years, these triangular-shaped “rice balls” have been taking on different forms, appearing as sandwich-style “onigirazu”and even cute characters that look too adorable to eat.

Just when we thought there was no way for the humble onigiri to surprise us any further, we came across a new type we’d never seen before, and it’s only available at Bellmart Kiosks in Hamamatsu and Kakegawa in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Scanning the shelf of onigiri in the refrigerator, you’ll find something that kind of resembles a rice ball… but then kind of doesn’t.

Described as “more than an onigiri, less than a bento”, this new type of rice ball debuted in 2022 and is called the “おに弁” (“Oniben”).

There were four varieties to choose from when we visited — Umani (savoury-sweet simmered ingredients), Unagi (Eel), Ebi Chilli (Chilli Prawn), and Shirasu & Mikkabi Gyu (Young Sardines & Beef From Mikkabi in Shizuoka).

At first glance, these look like bento boxed lunches in pretty trays, but looking closer reveals the trays are actually rice, with the fillings beautifully presented inside them.

▼ The Oniben really is an onigiri-bento hybrid.

We couldn’t quite wrap our heads around the concept of rice as a tray for the filling, so we picked up two to try on the bullet train back to Tokyo.

▼ Let’s start the taste test with the “Umani”.

Though we were slightly worried that the Oniben might be hard to eat, it turned out to be easy as it was well packed so nothing spilled out. The clever design allowed us to enjoy bites of rice with different ingredients in every mouthful, just as we would with a bento, but in a more convenient onigiri style of eating, and every bite was moreish and delicious. Stuffed with ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, lotus root, carrot, taro and konjac, this rice ball or rice bento — we weren’t sure what to call it at this point — delivered a whole lot of variety, making it fantastic value for 250 yen (US$1.75).

After polishing off the Umani, it was now time to try the “Ebi Chili”, which was slightly more expensive, at 350 yen.

Carefully peeling off the outer film, this Oniben was slathered in chilli sauce — so much so that it looked like it might drip off the edges. With gooey foods like this, it’s best to go for it with big, confident bites rather than nibble cautiously, so that’s what we did and thankfully it paid off, as we were able to avoid spilling any of it on our clothes.

Compared to the “Umani” version, this one is more likely to get your hands dirty, so it’s best to put your phone down and focus on eating to avoid making a mess. The concentration required is worth it though, as it’s incredibly tasty, with just the right amount of heat and a slight sweetness that’s so addictive we were left wishing we bought more than one for the journey.

After running a search online, we found that the Oniben is also available in a “Katsu Curry” version for 350 yen. Now that’s a combination we’re very keen to try, so another trip to the area is definitely on the cards for us, and if we can muster up the courage, we might visit this ghostly hand-dug tunnel in the area as well.

Related: Oniben
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