Perfect for parents looking to liven up their children's school lunches or park snacks, or for busy people who want to fix a quick and cheerful meal to take to work, Kawaii Bento Boxes highlights the Japanese passion for making food a treat for the eyes as well as for the mouth. Here are whimsical creations like soccer balls and animal faces made from shaped rice, tulips cut from dyed hardboiled eggs, hearts and stars carved out of vegetables, and much more. Most of the ingredients used are familiar and available to American cooks. There are also suggestions for the right container for each meal. The meals are not just easy to make, they are tasty, nutritious and economical, with each portion carefully calculated so that there are no leftovers. For each box, the authors include detailed instructions for cooking, seasoning, decorating and assembling the components as well as an icon indicating how long it will take to prepare. Kawaii Bento Boxes offers dozens of recipes and menus. Although bento boxes are available to take out from restaurants and food stands, they are most frequently prepared at home, very often by parents wishing to provide their children with delicious, healthy, fun-and environmentally responsible-lunch and snack-time alternatives. There are similar forms of boxed lunches in the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, and India.A bento box meal (single portions of different foods packed in one reusable container) is a Japanese tradition that lends itself well to today's busy lifestyle. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements. This is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and plants. Another popular bento style is 'oekakiben' or 'picture bento'. Kyaraben are typically decorated to look like popular characters from Japanese cartoons, comic books, or video games. Bento can be elaborately arranged in a style called 'kyaraben'.

However, Japanese homemakers often spend time and energy on a carefully prepared lunch box for their spouse, child, or themselves. Bento boxes are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops, railway stations, and department stores. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware.

A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Bento Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine.

Kawaii Bento Boxes by Joie Staff