WINNERS
Masami
from Washington, United States
Tonarinrin
from Japan
Melia
Washington
APPLICANTS GALLERY
Listed in order of submission
“子供が大好きなしまじろうと、サッカーボールのキャラ弁です。成長する子供の栄養も考えて、タンパク質、糖質、ビタミンがバランスよく摂れるようにしました。主に使用しているのは、ご飯、卵、お肉、野菜、フルーツです。見た目が美味しそうに見えるように、緑、赤、黄色、の色味を入れるように気をつけています。楽しく食べる子供の笑顔が、私のご馳走です。”
From: Washington, USA
“どちらも子供が食べることを楽しいと感じ、好き嫌いなく食べられるようにという想いを込めて作りました。元々子供が少食で、お弁当を残してしまうことを本人も気にしていたため、少しずつでも食べられるものを増やしてあげたいと思い子供が好きなキャラクターでお弁当を作るようになりました。今では今日のお弁当は何かな？とお昼の時間を楽しみにしてくれているようです。
一枚目:鬼滅の刃より煉獄杏寿郎さん
鬼滅の刃の映画の中で「うまい！うまい！」とこのキャラクターが食べていた牛すき煮（牛肉、人参、しらたき）をごはんに乗せて上にチーズと海苔とハムで作った煉獄さんを乗せました。
左のおかずは、1番下がピーマンの肉詰め、ハートの卵焼き、卵焼きの下にキノコソテー、お花の人参の下がレンコンを刻んで入れて作った焼売です。焼売は子供と一緒に作ったものを冷凍してお弁当に使っています。
二枚目:サンリオよりポムポムプリン
下が、豆ご飯のおにぎりと、オムライスで作ったポムポムプリンおにぎり、焼きたらこととろろ昆布のおにぎりです。
上のおかずは、ミニハンバーグにお花のチーズを乗せて、キノコのバターソテーとブロッコリー、からあげです。”
From: Washington, USA
“I make lunch boxes for my husband five times a week. Making bento is my hobby. As Otsukimi is near, I made a rabbit-themed bento. Otsukimi means “viewing the moon”. In 2021, it’s September 21. In Japan, people decorate with silver grasses and offer rice dumplings to the moon. People offer the rice dumplings in appreciation for the harvest of grains. In Japan, it is said that there are rabbits on the moon. This is because the shape of the lunar crater looks like a rabbit pounding rice cake with a mortar and pestle.
The side dishes are
・ Deep-fried chicken breast-Yuzu koshyo flavor
・ Shrimp mustard grill
・ Greenpeppers and salted kelp with sesame
・ White kidney beans
・Marinated paprika
・ Spanish mackerel grilled in Saikyo
・ Sweet vinegar pickled red onions”
“It is bento of noriart with the image of autumn. Maples are made from sweet vinegar pickled carrots. The side dishes are Sweet and spicy grilled chikuwa, Cheese and seaweed, Dashimaki Tamago, Green peppers and salted kelp with sesame seeds, Croquette, Marinated carrots and black beans, Stir-fried eggplant and leek with miso, Sweet vinegar pickled red onions.”
From: Japan
Instagram: @smilebento.tonarinrin
Blog: https://smilebento-tonarinrin.blog.jp/
“Hokkaido Happiness Bento – My bento celebrates the delicious flavors of Hokkaido & the white Hokkaido Inu made famous by SoftBank’s beloved furry mascot “Otō-san”! I hope
to showcase some of Hokkaido’s famous foods and ingredients from the sea and the land. Known for its amazing seafood, I’ve included a Hokkaido favorite: ikameshi (stuffed squid), but with my own twist. As a nod to Tantakatan, which is a special shōchū (Japanese distilled drink) made with akajiso (beefsteak plant leaves) harvested from Eastern Hokkaido, I stuffed my ika (squid) with akajiso gohan,(rice), which was cooked in a shōchū and shoyu (soy sauce) broth, topped off with a wasabi tobiko (flying fish roe) garnish to complete my ikameshi flower. For more deliciousness from the sea, I combined fresh carved cucumber flowers with akatobiko,(red flying fish roe) for a refreshing and crispy veggie side dish. Just because I like veggies, I also included Sakura-shaped carrot slices and snow peas blanched in a katsuo-konbu dashi (bonito-kelp soup stock). Famous for miso ramen, I used this ingredient mixed with ground goma (sesame), Kewpie mayonaise and rice vinegar to create a flavorful dressing for my asparagus spears. My two dessert elements also incorporate ingredients from the land. Inspired by Hokkaido’s famous Yabari melons, I made bite-sized cantaloupe balls. Because Hokkaido is famous for its delicious dairy products and the Royce Chocolate Company, I combined heavy cream, dark chocolate and apricot brandy to create my nama-choco (raw chocolate) squares! The way that all these wonderful flavors compliment each other puts a smile on the face of my mini-version of “” Otō-san”” to become my Hokkaido Happiness bento!”
From: Washington, USA
“今年は丑年なので、牛のキャラ弁を作ってみました。ご飯を牛の形にして、のりや桜でんぶで顔の部分を作りました。
毎日、子供たちがが弁当を完食するように、キャラ弁を始めました。”
From: Washington, USA
“プーさん弁当。
くまのプーさんが大好きな友達の誕生日に、プーさんグッズと共にこの手作りのお弁当をプレゼントしました。
プーさんはオムライスで、中身はチキン入りのケチャップライスです。おかずは、茹でて麺つゆをさっとかけたブロッコリー(茎も耳の下に入っています)、きのことパプリカのバター醤油ソテー、ささみのフライ、りんごとみかん。栄養のバランスも考えました。”
“Pokémon Bento
息子がポケモン大好きなので作りました。赤い部分はイミテーションクラブを薄く剥がして貼り付けました。黄色い部分はのり玉。おいしさと栄養のバランスも考えています。”
“雪だるま弁当。今週は雪が降るかもと言う時に、雪が降ったら雪だるまを作ろうとワクワクしている息子たちにつくりました。”
“息子たちに作ったハロウィン弁当。野菜(オレンジのパプリカ)を使って大胆にジャック・オー・ランタンを再現してみました。黒いのは海苔、下はチャーハン。フタを開けてびっくり、周りのクラスメイトたちも驚いたそうです。”
From: Washington, USA
“Hello everyone! My name is Kaja and here are the descriptions of my two bentos. Hope you like them!
Baby Shark Bento
Description:
This bento is meant for children who are spending their day at the beach, playing and swimming. The bento is designed to be full of protein to help children gain their energy back, and it can be used to help them learn about the animals that live in the ocean. Baby Shark is a very popular children’s character, and in this bento, two baby sharks (male and female) are hanging out between the seaweed in the ocean, while little fish are swimming above them.
Ingredients:
Baby shark: rice, food coloring, cheese, ham, nori
Ground: Plant based beef and seaweed salad
Sea: whole wheat pasta, food coloring
Fish: quail egg, food coloring, chia seeds
Rilakkuma bear bento
Description:
This bento is designed for anyone, children, teens, and adults! This bento is full of vegetables and protein, making it a nutritious meal. The bento is inspired by famous Japanese bear called Rilakkuma, and it is surrounded by flowers and chicks.
Ingredients:
Bear: white rice, soy sauce, bonito flakes, cheese, nori
Chicks (tamagoyaki): eggs, carrot, nori, spring onion
Flowers: ham
Salad: edamame, bean spouts, sesame sauce, everything but the bagel seasoning
(Edamame is rich in fiber, antioxidants and vitamin K, while bean sprouts are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and calcium)
Veggie meatballs (vegan): chickpeas, carrots, peppers, corn and kale
*the bento is placed on organic iceberg salad”
From: Washington, USA
“Dear Daniel’s Moon River (with Hello Kitty as the moon)
Message: Play song “”Moon River”” as background music while eating this bento.
Ingredients: Rice, Orange, Asparagus, Nori, Carrots, Noodles (Sesame Oil & Szechuan Pepper), Red Bell Pepper, Swiss Cheese, and Snow Skin Mooncake (red bean paste).”
From: Washington, USA
“I made a Spongebob themes character bento. I made simmered shiitake mushrooms, a soft-boiled egg, rice, umeboshi, seaweed, green-onion tamogoyaki, and vienna sausages for this character bento. The Image on the rice is a seaweed version of squidwards self portrait. the tamogoyaki was decorated to look like Spongebob and the umeboshi onigiri in the bottom right corner is decorated to be Doodlebob. The vienna sausages have a nose cut into them and seasame seeds to look like Squidward.”
From: Hawaii, USA