As a very snacky person, I often find myself raiding the snack aisle in grocery stores. I would say I’m about as snacky as Todd from Bojack Horseman, and just as adventurous with my food. This is the story of a love affair. The first time I fell in love with a particular 7/11 store (so much so that I dream about it), was during my recent trip to the amazing country of Japan.

I was with my best friend, and we were backpacking through Japan in May 2019. As we were on a budget, some nights we’d simply buy instant noodles (Pikachu flavored?), hot dogs, herb tea or Asahi beer from the 7/11 closest to the backpacker's hostel, rather than going out and spending big bucks on another Ramen bowl.

It was in a Kyoto 7/11 that I found myself staring up at an imposing section of the snack aisle. The light from the back panel shone upon the snacks and I could hear bells chiming angelically from the front of the store as more customers walked in. The white light presented to me hundreds of little spunky seaweed wrapped rice balls of ¥100–200 each. Each of these little snack packs had a unique flavor indicated on its label. I couldn’t figure out what made them different cause they just looked like rounded triangular rice-cakes. I picked up a few and took them back to the hostel. As I unwrapped the outer cling wrap, I could smell the fresh seafood wafting from the little rice-cake. When I took my first bite, I was in heaven. Your teeth sink into the soft, sticky rice after making it past the crunchy seaweed. The crunch of the seaweed and the softness of the rice are a really wonderful juxtaposition. As I took another couple of bites, I reached the center. This is truly when I foodgasmed as the salmon filling hit my palette along with the other sensations of crunch and softness. The fillings include smoked fish, tuna, salmon, spicy pickled mustard (a vegetarian option), and some other seafood. I present to you– the (not so) humble onigiri.

Onigiri are triangular rice balls, surrounded by an algae leaf and filled with various ingredients. A bit of etymology: the word お握り (onigiri) includes the character 握り (nigiri), which means to grasp, to squeeze in one’s hand. -https://www.lefrenchriz.com/en/what-is-an-onigiri

A page out of my travel diary that clearly highlights the importance of savoring each segment of the gastronomic journey (@ a Family Mart in Nara)

This little marvel of a snack saved me through countless snacky moments during my travels. I truly believe it should take precedence in the snack section– the onigiri aisle should be a thing; everywhere in the world. For one, it is way healthier than a salted bag of chips, aside from being an absolute snacker’s delight and being fun-sized and pocket-friendly (size-wise and money-wise). Japan has truly mastered the art of snacking, and it shows. I implore every 7/11 in every country to do what they do in Japan. The only downside is that I didn’t find them in vending machines, so if you plan a trek through a forest with no natural 7/11’s I would advise you to keep them handy in your backpack. They’d last you a day without spoiling and refrigeration.

A bite out of heaven (Photo by Samia Liamani on Unsplash)

A cousin of the onigiri is the fried-rice onigiri. As it sounds, the fried rice ball is just as fun-sized and has a slightly more familiar taste than its Japanese original. It feels slightly more sticky perhaps due to the oil used for frying, and has bits of scrambled egg in it, usually. If you are the cautious type before experiencing new flavors, I would recommend that you ease your way into the world of onigiri through the fried rice onigiri. They don’t call it the gateway onigiri for nothing, so be warned.

This spunky, cute little seemingly harmless snack is seemingly inconspicuous and hides very well among other foods. But like all things unassuming, this introverted onigiri will open up to you if you open up to it.

Needless to say, on my last day in Japan I picked up a few from an airport combini (convenience store) and packed them in my suitcase. Yes, these little munchkins flew more than 3000 miles with me back home for my family to taste!

Itadakimasu! いただきます!

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