Marshmallow Day

So, I realise that this post is a few days late (must excuse the mountain of uni work going on) but on the 14th of March, Japan has just celebrated White Day. 

So what is White Day? No, it is not some sort of inappropriate KKK holiday, but instead another Japanese holiday celebrating obligation.  Unlike valentines day, where it is all about the girls forking out money to buy chocolate for anyone they may want to (or feel obligated to), White Day is all about the guys giving it to the girls.  In fact, it is quite an insult to not return the gift of obligation chocolate if you received something on Valentines day. So, once again the stores are filled with chocolate;or at least they leave the same valentines chocolate out on the shelf, with a newer, more expensive price tag, and a 'white day' sign on top.

And, unlike valentines day, where the day was originally about love, White Day is all about obligation (giri). White Day was created by a marshmallow company, who later paired up with other confectionery companies and did a massive marketing campaign for the citizens of Japan to take the day on. Eventually they did and another money spending day was created. Originally called 'marshmallow day' it was later changed to 'white day' as the colour of marshmallows, which allowed other companies to cash in on the day (Lingerie, cookies, jewellery etc). And, unlike Christmas and Valentines day, where there may once have been a noble message in there somewhere- White Day is purely a money making scheme... And it does seem to work.

There is a bit of a 'rule of three' when it comes to white day chocolate- as in, the man should be giving you something that is three times more expensive than whatever you gave him. Apparently, it is not entirely unheard of for some Japanese school girls to give their father a couple of hundred dollars (10,000 yens) worth of giri-chocolate (Obligation chocolate), just so that their dad's might buy them that new Gucci bag they always wanted....

 

Ahh, the cunning....

So, if it is that easy to create a new money spending holiday; I prose that April 8th be "Cadbury Creme Egg Day." A day to celebrate the wonders of consumerism...Oh, wait... I think it already is....

Bento time

So, there is more to a bento than just a lunch box- instead they are a way to show the person whom you love most that you care...

Forget the secret love notes or the subtle stalking of the high school girls in Australia; in Japan if you want to show a man you care- make him a bento. High school girls who are competent enough may try and win the love of their life by giving him a lunchbox of food prepared lovingly by hand. Yes, it seems that the way to a man's heart really is through his stomach in Japan. Or possibly it is some kind of teenage test to show that you could be a housewife worthy of serving him 'til kingdom come.

Mothers too (if they have enough time on their hands and could be bothered) may also prepare their love in box form. None of this 'fun size pack of chips and a random tubed shaped yoghurt' (Or that one piece of bruised fruit that appears over and over again mysteriously, no matter how many times it gets returned in the afternoons)- Bentos in Japan are serious stuff...

No, that is not one I prepared earlier, but I have gotten to making my husband a box of love everyday. After all, I do want to be a good housewife.

My problem is that he does not eat vegetables, cold meat, or any type other Bento ingredient so it looks like all these fancy pants bentos are out for me (whatever will I do with the extra time now :p). Instead, Senior Lukington gets some lovingly prepared onigiri....

Step One: 

Cook rice in the amazing rice cooker 

(FYI- if you do not have one and eat rice more than once a week: Get one! This one has two timers so the rice is ready for whenever I want and it keeps it warm. No more of that embarrassing rice water spillage in the microwave for me, no sir)

Step two: 

Fill half the onigiri triangle container with rice (that's right, I cheat) and then put in a delicious filling. Senior Lukington has Japanese curry in this one. 

(FYI- ignore the "bold and the beautiful" style photos with the layer of vaseline on the lens.... The rice was very steamy)

 

 Step three:

Fill the rest with rice to the top, place on the lid and squeeze the love into it...

 Step four:

Pop it out of the container and cover in delicious sesame seeds- these ones are curry flavoured...

Step five:

Place in bento box and send it off with love. 

Nom nom nom.

I pack the nori (seaweed) separately so Luke can wrap it himself when he is ready to eat it so the seaweed stays crunchy...

Well, it might not be anything like this....

But the good news is that Luke has already bought the cow, so I don't really need to impress him with food shaped animals for lunch.

Besides, it sure beats a stale vegemite sandwich....