How to open a wrapped rice ball

A rice ball is one of the typical Japanese food. It’s very delicious which the dried seaweed is crispy and the ingredients are plenty of choices. And it’s easy to cook and buy it everywhere in Japanese supermarkets or convenience stores. However it’s kind of difficult to open a wrapped rice ball for the first time.

This is a salmon and cream cheese rice ball from Family mart.

This is a spicy cod roe rice ball from Family mart.
Store bought rice balls are wrapped in an unique style.

A rice ball

A rice ball is made from steamed rice and shapes like ball or triangle. Some fillings are inside the rice ball like a picked plum, tuna, baked salmon or cod roe. It’s seasoned with salt. And it’s covered with a piece of dried seaweed so that usually the dried seaweed gets wet as time goes by. But a crispy dried seaweed makes rice ball so much tasty!! To prevent a seaweed from getting wet, you need the unique wrapping for a rice ball.

How to open a wrapped rice ball

For eating a delicious rice ball, you need to open the wrap carefully, otherwise, the dried seaweed will rip easily.
Incidentally, there is a direction to open the wrapping on the side of rice ball.

First, pick the center line off all around the rice ball.

Next pull off the both sides of the wrapping carefully one by one.

Be careful not to tear the seaweed at this time!! The corner of the dried seaweed is easy to tear. Do it just slowly and carefully.

Then ready to eat!!

Summary

These days there are some luxury rice balls from each convenience stores. One luxury rice ball is particular about the rice, and other high- end rice ball consists on the ingredients. Of course ordinary rice balls are delicious!! You can try several kinds of rice balls when you visit Japan!