Meals on Rails: Ekiben
The Japanese people love their railroads. They have created
a veritable rail-culture, with stories behind many railways lines, whole
histories behind the creation of some freight and passenger trains and more
recently, whole trains wrapped with anime decals. These are just some
intriguing elements of Japanese rail culture. But the most iconic part of this
culture is unarguably Ekiben.
Ekiben is a contraction for Eki Bento, which means station take-away, they can be
purchased at Shinkansen Stations and are typically priced at a 800-1200 yen
price range.
Ekiben Stall in a Japanese Train Station
Although conceived as simple a boxed meal to accompany
commuters on lengthy train trips, train lines and prefectures now use Ekiben as
a way of curating and showcasing local specialities to tourists and commuters.
Using only seasonal ingredients, these meals are often of
extremely high quality and can garner whole cult followings and incredible
fame. They also often come with their own gimmicks and these include
Self-heating contaniners and Ekiben boxes that double as collectibles.
Tourists have embarked on whole Ekiben trips where while
their time in Japan away scouring the rails for Ekiben and profiling the tastes
of individual prefectures in Japan.
For whatever reason, certain Ekiben have distinguished
themselves above and beyond their counterparts. Below are Six of the more
interesting Ekiben that can be found along the Japanese Railway.
1. Ika Meshi
Ikameshi: Braised Squid stuffed with glutinous rice
Hokkaido’s Ekiben often showcase the seafood produce of the
area. It is therefore no surprise that one of Japan’s most famous seafood based
bento comes from Hokkaido’s Mori Station.
Meaning Squid-Rice, Ika-Meshi is made by stuffing sticky
rice into squid and then boiling the squid and rice in a simple braising liquid
made of soy sauce and sugar. The result is one of Japan’s most well-loved
Ekiben.
The Ika-Meshi Ekiben comes with two pieces of rice-stuffed
squid and is Priced at 500 yen.
2. Omatsuri Hello Kitty
Omatsuri Hello Kitty
Originally marketed towards children. The reusable,
Hello Kitty shaped Ekiben container is themed around Momotaro, a famous
Japanese fairy-tale, and has become something of a coveted collectible.
Sold at the Okayama station. This fun bento contains
kid-friendly fare in the form of cocktail wieners, a slice of hello kitty
themed fish cake, de-shelled prawns and shredded omelette. This limited edition
ekiben is manufactured only in small numbers and is snapped up nearly immediately
when it is available. Another way of obtaining this Ekiben is through
reservation by telephone.
The Omatsuri Hello Kitty Ekiben goes at 950 yen.
3. Amiyaki Gyutan Bento
Amiyaki Gyutan Bento
Sold at the Sendai station or In-train on the Tohoku line,
this Ekiben is known for its self-heating container. Pulling a string dangling
out of the ekiben’s side can activates the heating mechanism which works by the
way of an exothermic reaction caused by the mingling of calcium carbonate and
water.
Technicalities aside, inside this bento contains barley-rice
topped with pickles, carrots and slices of Gyutan, grilled cow’s tongue. A
packet of Shichimi Togarashi, a spice mix akin to chilli powder is also
included within the bento.
Extremely iconic to Sendai, the custom of cooking Gyutan originated
from the area in 1948, when occupation forces left rations of “inedible” cow
tongue behind. The people of Sendai began adapting to the new food, grilling it
and eventually making it a local delicacy.
The Amiyaki Gyutan Bento is sold at 1,000 yen.
4. Tonosama Bento
The Tonosama Bento is one of the higher end Ekiben
available. Tonosama can be translated to
“Feudal Lord”.
From Kumamoto, the ekiben boasts fresh premium ingredients.
Its main draw is the Sawara Saikyo-Yaki which is Miso-baked Spanish mackerel as
well as a single, plump whole Shrimp simmered in Dashi Stock. Served with rice
balls topped with pickled plum, the Ekiben also has little paper cups filled
with
mini-dishes like stuffed tofu and simmered yam in it.
The Tonosama Bento costs 1,500 yen.
5. Hippari Dako Meshi
The beautifully crafted octopus pot
Inside: Sliced octopus on rice
The bento is sealed by means of a string tie and a piece of
waxed paper. Remove the wax paper to reveal slices of steamed octopus and eel
lovingly arranged on flavoured rice. This one is not only delicious to eat but lovely to look at as well, a bonus being the fact that you can retain the pot
as a keepsake.
Hippari Dako Meshi sells at 900 yen.
6. Miyagi Ougonkaidou
The Miyagi Ougonkaidou comes in a crisp looking hexagonal wooden box. Sold from Miyagi station, the ekiben is filled snugly with some pretty good stuff. The seafood-based bento contains Ikura (Salmon roe), Uni (Sea Urchin roe), Anago (Sweet Conger Eel), Scallops and salmon atop a generous bed of kinshi tamago and rice.
Miyagi Ougonkaido sells for 1,000 yen.
7. Katsu Sando
Katsu Sando is a contraction of Katsu and Sandwich. Each
ekiben contains sandwiches made of sliced white bread and pork katsu drizzled with the iconic Bulldog katsu sauce.
The Ekiben has silenced many of its inexperienced detractors
who insist that a breaded pork schnitzel cannot possibly retain its charm and
flavor once it has cooled down. Many vouch for its deliciousness, even at room
temperature.
This quick meal goes for 600 yen.
8. Shirataki-hime no Okurimono
Meaning Princess Shirataki’s Gifts, this is undoubtedly the Ekiben with the most poetic name on this list.
The Bento itself comes in a compact white box with an
attached handle, very much like a purse and two paper trays in it. One contains
rice balls and fried stuffed tofu and the other contains various ingredients
like Tamagoyaki which is thick fried omelette, unagi and simmered vegetables.
This elegant packet goes for 850 yen
The Japanese railway is known for yielding not only beautiful sights, but beautiful tastes too, a far cry from your average airplane meal, each Ekiben is labour of love.
Tell us about your experiences with Ekiben!
ボナペティ!
Written by Ash.
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