How a Bento Box Works

Bento boxes, or 'O-Bento' in Japanese, are Japanese packed lunches. These boxes contain internal dividers and are sometimes stacked on top of each other in layers. Many different foods can be placed in their own compartments. The boxes are used primarily for aesthetic reasons.

Aesthetic

• Bento boxes, like much of modern Japanese culture, are valued for their 'cute' factor. The designs range from laquered wood boxes to plastic lunchboxes decorated with anime characters. Competition exists between bento packers over who has the most aesthetically-pleasing lunch design inside. Japanese are known to agonize over what to pack in a bento box, desiring to have the most aesthetically-pleasing bento.

Carbohydrate Base

• The base of any bento lunch is cold, cooked white rice and sometimes noodles.

Okazu

• Okazu, or side-dishes, can contain meat, fish, eggs, tofu, fruit or vegetables in any combination. The okazu are cut into bite-size pieces that make them easier to eat with chopsticks, and are eaten cold just as the carbohydrate base is. For color and dietary reasons, okazu generally consists of one protein item and two fruits or vegetables.

Ekiben

• Bento can even be used to showcase regional specialties. Ekiben, or takeaway bento, is sold all over Japan, and showcases the culinary specialties of each region.