Bento

A bento is a Japanese boxed meal of rice, fish or meat and pickles, with each part kept in its own compartment.

Bento is the everyday packed meal in Japan, eaten at school, at work and on trips, and sold ready-made at railway stations and convenience stores. The box is part of the dish: each element of the meal has its own section.

What it really is

A bento is one meal in one box. Plain steamed rice takes up one section, often with a scattering of sesame seeds. The main goes in another: a piece of fish, usually grilled or fried, or sometimes meat. Pickles fill a small section, and soy sauce seasons the fish or comes as a dip. The parts are kept apart so the flavours do not mix and the box looks balanced when the lid comes off.

Bento is defined by its parts and its box, not by one fixed recipe. Fillings change with the cook, the season and the shop, so two boxes can look quite different and still follow the same pattern.

How it's served

• Packed in a lidded box of lacquered wood or plastic, often wrapped in a cloth.
• Usually eaten at room temperature, so nothing needs reheating.
• Eaten with chopsticks, directly from the box, at a desk, on a train or outdoors.
• Sold ready-made at railway stations, convenience stores and department stores, or packed at home.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main in the title, such as "grilled salmon bento", and say whether the box holds fish or meat.
• Flag fish, sesame and wheat. Soy sauce is brewed with wheat, so list wheat as well as soy.
• Say whether the box is served at room temperature or warm, and whether the rice is plain or seasoned.
• List the standard parts (rice, fish or meat, pickles). Mark extras such as egg, tofu or vegetables separately, so the allergen notes stay accurate.