Children often compete to see who has the best box. Traditional bento originated as a means of getting all nutrients in one meal so they include rice, fish/meat, a few Japanese salads, pickles and fruits. YOU OFFER WORKSHOPS, WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR WITH KIDS:
I quickly learnt that there’s a high demand for children’s sushi, bento and origami making in London. They’re all perfect activities for them to get creative with and enjoy with friends or parents. For kids 5+ we offer private birthday parties and group workshops based on their favourite theme.
Kids love to make their favourite character so I’ve experimented with ingredients to change the colour of rice. I use purple cabbage to make a light pink rice, turmeric for yellow rice, soy sauce for brown rice...and the list goes on! The most popular characters to make have been Hello Kitty, Star Wars characters, Pokémon, emoji themed bento, and anime characters.
FOR A BEGINNER/NOVICE ORIGAMI/BENTO MAKER, WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE “GO TO” DESIGNS?
One of the first sushi types that I teach in bento or sushi workshops is ‘temari’ sushi. These are very small sushi balls that originate from Kyoto, where geisha would traditionally eat them as they are made slightly smaller than other sushi types. They are very simple to make, all you need is a piece of cling film, rice and a small amount of ingredients. The best part is decorating them or turning them into your favourite character if using coloured rice! For origami I always start simple, either a heart or an animal such as a rabbit, cat or dog. Kids love to decorate so I always allow lots of time for this. ANYTHING NEW AND EXCITING COMING UP?
Once it’s a little warmer I’ll be holding ‘frushi’ (fruit sushi) workshops which I’m really looking forward to. I add coconut milk to the rice and replace savoury ingredients with lots of fruits and sometimes even chocolate!
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