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Japan's humble onigiri took over lunchtimes around the world

For decades nori-wrapped rice dish was mainly a snack eaten at home or in a bento, but now it has come into its own

Its customers are a mixture of loyal locals, inquisitive diners from out of town and, increasingly, a foreign clientele eager to taste the inspiration for the global boom in onigiri – triangles of warm, lightly salted rice embellished with a topping or filling and, more often than not, wrapped in crisp nori seaweed. Those stores, too, are riding the onigiri wave with new varieties and, at the FamilyMart chain, high-end versions made in collaboration with well-known restaurants feature fillings such as meunière-style salmon and line-caught bluefin tuna with smoked pickled radish. In the Tokyo neighbourhood of Asakusa, Anastasia and Rame Bouslimi are among a glut of lunchtime customers outside Onigiri Yadoroku, the city’s oldest rice ball shop and, in 2018, the recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating, awarded to restaurants that serve inexpensive meals.

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